Essex County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Essex County has experienced 30 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Tropical Depression Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Essex County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, hurricane, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Very Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Essex County has been designated in 30 declarations since 1973, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (15), flood (8), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 30 total declarations since 1973.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 3.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 15.4 | 10 | 0 | $707K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.5 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 56.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.7 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 20.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 24.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 10.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 45 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Essex County ranks in the 42nd percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 42nd | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 64th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 58th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 10th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 19th | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 6th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 5th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 89.2% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Essex County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Essex County, Vermont are landslide, hurricane, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Essex County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Essex County has received 30 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (15 declarations).
Has Essex County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Essex County include Tropical Depression Debby (2024), Severe Winter Storm (2024), Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024), Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024), Severe Storm And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Essex County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Coos County, NH has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Lamoille County, VT has the lowest (Very Low). Essex County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Essex County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Essex County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Essex County's composite score of 3 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 3% of US counties.