Chittenden County Disaster Risk

Chittenden County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 64th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Chittenden County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (77th percentile), flooding (76th percentile), hurricane (66th percentile), tornado (30th percentile), wildfire (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 77th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Chittenden County's composite risk percentile is 64th, compared to the Vermont state average of 36th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Chittenden County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Vermont.

Yes, Chittenden County's earthquake risk is at the 77th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Chittenden County is at the 76th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Chittenden County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Vermont state average of 36th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (77th percentile), along with flooding and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.