Grand Isle County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Grand Isle County has experienced 18 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.
Grand Isle County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, hurricane, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (1st percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Grand Isle County has been designated in 18 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (6), flood (4), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2014 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
Showing the 10 most recent of 18 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 | 4.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 12.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 30.6 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13.7 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 34.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.8 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 11.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 18.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 7.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 21.1 | 2 | 0 | $1.7M |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 8.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Grand Isle County ranks in the 1st percentile (Very 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 | 1st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 12th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 2nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 25th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 1st | 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 | 9th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 9th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 80.6% | — |
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 Grand Isle County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Grand Isle County, Vermont are ice storm, hurricane, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Grand Isle County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Grand Isle County has received 18 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (6 declarations).
Has Grand Isle County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Grand Isle County include Tropical Depression Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Grand Isle County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Clinton County, NY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Lamoille County, VT has the lowest (Very Low). Grand Isle County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Grand Isle County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Grand Isle 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. Grand Isle County's composite score of 2 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 2% of US counties.