States › Vermont › Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 662 storm events in Orleans County, Vermont, led by winter storms and snow.
That is 95.3 events per 100 square miles, below the Vermont figure of 119.4, and 240.3 per 10,000 residents against 170.5 statewide.
15 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 5 deaths and 7 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $515M and crop damage at $1.5M.
FEMA has designated the county in 33 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (major disaster, 26 Sep 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 102 claims since 1978, of which 81 were paid, totalling $2.6M (about $32K per paid claim). FEMA counts 50 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($12M a year across 18 hazards).
12 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Vermont and the United States
| Measure | Orleans County | Vermont | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 662 | 11,007 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 95.3 | 119.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 240.3 | 170.5 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 15 | 353 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 5 | 62 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $515M | $1.7B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 5.8 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $32K | $40K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 58.0 | 37.4 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 378 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 264 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | 2 | 5 | County |
| 11 Jan 2008 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $25K | — | 2 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jul 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | — | $60K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2011 | Flood | Flood | — | $500M | $250K | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1962 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 2012 | Heat | Heat | — | — | $1.0M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $750K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Nov 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 1993 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $500K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2012 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Oct 2017 | High Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $300K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Jul 2007 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2022 | Strong Wind | Wind | 49 mph | $250K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep 2024 | DR-4826 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 Aug 2024 | DR-4810 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 8 Aug 2024 | EM-3609 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby | Public assistance |
| 19 Apr 2024 | DR-4770 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 2 Mar 2024 | DR-4762 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 14 Jul 2023 | DR-4720 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Jul 2023 | EM-3595 | Emergency | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 20 Mar 2023 | DR-4695 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2021 | EM-3567 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri | Public assistance |
| 8 Apr 2020 | DR-4532 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3437 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 17 Jan 2020 | DR-4474 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 30 Jul 2018 | DR-4380 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 2 Jan 2018 | DR-4356 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 3 Feb 2015 | DR-4207 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 11 Jun 2014 | DR-4178 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 29 Jan 2014 | DR-4163 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 2 Aug 2013 | DR-4140 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 22 Jun 2012 | DR-4066 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornado, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 1 Sep 2011 | DR-4022 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2011 | EM-3338 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 15 Jun 2011 | DR-1995 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Aug 2007 | DR-1715 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 23 Sep 2004 | DR-1559 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 12 Jul 2002 | DR-1428 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Apr 2001 | EM-3167 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 10 Nov 1999 | DR-1307 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Floyd | Public assistance |
| 30 Jun 1998 | DR-1228 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 25 Jul 1997 | DR-1184 | Major disaster | Flood | Excessive Rainfall, High Winds, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Feb 1996 | DR-1101 | Major disaster | Flood | Ice Jams And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 16 Aug 1995 | DR-1063 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Excessive Rainfall, Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Aug 1976 | DR-518 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 6 Jul 1973 | DR-397 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, & Landslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | $68,609 | $22,870 |
| 2023 | 14 | 11 | $1,383,879 | $125,807 |
| 2019 | 10 | 9 | $332,952 | $36,995 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | $37,963 | $18,982 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | $20,839 | $20,839 |
| 2011 | 23 | 20 | $487,465 | $24,373 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | $2,951 | $2,951 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | $3,734 | $3,734 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | $2,603 | $2,603 |
| 2002 | 7 | 5 | $69,701 | $13,940 |
| 1998 | 9 | 9 | $107,607 | $11,956 |
| 1997 | 9 | 8 | $53,931 | $6,741 |
| 1996 | 1 | 1 | $848 | $848 |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1994 | 7 | 5 | $15,053 | $3,011 |
| 1989 | 1 | 1 | $1,694 | $1,694 |
| 1986 | 1 | 1 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| 1983 | 1 | 1 | $19,035 | $19,035 |
| 1982 | 2 | 1 | $3,453 | $3,453 |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $9,397,979 | |
| Cold wave | $893,303 | |
| Hurricane | $466,998 | |
| Earthquake | $235,957 | |
| Lightning | $215,816 | |
| Strong wind | $215,294 | |
| Winter weather | $136,922 | |
| Heat wave | $102,066 | |
| Ice storm | $83,455 | |
| Tornado | $80,511 | |
| Hail | $15,717 | |
| Landslide | $7,709 | |
| Wildfire | $7,113 | |
| Avalanche | $681 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaias | 2020 | 71 mi | 52 mph |
| Irene | 2011 | 44 mi | 52 mph |
| Doria | 1971 | 74 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1968 | 57 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1949 | 72 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1929 | 33 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1923 | 32 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1916 | 87 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1899 | 76 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1893 | 73 mi | 63 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1893 | 85 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1866 | 43 mi | 46 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Orleans County, VT?
NCEI records 51 hail events in Orleans County since 1950, in 21 different years; that is about 0.7 recorded events a year. 7 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Orleans County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 6 tornadoes in Orleans County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Orleans County?
26 Sep 2024: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 33 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Orleans County, and how much was paid?
102 NFIP claims since 1978, 81 of them paid, for $2.6M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Orleans County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Orleans County compare with the rest of Vermont?
95.3 recorded events per 100 square miles against 119.4 statewide, and 3.7 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 5.8. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.