Orange County, VT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Orange County has experienced 34 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.
Orange County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, hurricane, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (9th 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. Orange County has been designated in 34 declarations since 1973, covering 5 disaster types including severe storm (17), flood (11), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 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 |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 34 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 | 17.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 50 | 5 | 0 | $2.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 37.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 36.7 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 13.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 9.4 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 24.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 39.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 30.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 64.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 36.8 | — | — | — |
| 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
Orange County ranks in the 9th 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 | 9th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 16th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 10th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 7th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 22nd | 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 | 10th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 10th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 91.0% | — |
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 Orange County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Orange County, Vermont are landslide, hurricane, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Orange County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Orange County has received 34 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (17 declarations).
Has Orange County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Orange County include Tropical Depression Debby (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 Orange County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Grafton County, NH has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Addison County, VT has the lowest (Very Low). Orange County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Orange County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Orange 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. Orange County's composite score of 26 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 26% of US counties.