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Natural hazards · Barre

Barre, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barre comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 299 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Barre?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barre to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves8%Everything else22%
By hazard

What Barre faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Barre flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Barre, from FEMA’s records.

299paid claims since 1980
$13.2Mpaid to owners
60homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 76 claims, $6.3M
  • Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $30K
  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $15K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Barre isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

36flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Barre

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Barre itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Barre.

Brought FEMA money into BarreDeclared for Washington County only
2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

134 households applied for aid $476K aid approved $1.3M to the Town of Barre for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

924 households applied for aid $4.1M aid approved $4.3M to the Town of Barre for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Barre for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

28 households applied for aid $35K aid approved $109K to the Town of Barre for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

261 households applied for aid $834K aid approved $2.3M to the Town of Barre for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$67K to the Town of Barre for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$420K to the Town of Barre for repairs
Washington County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Barre

Barre and the towns around it

Barre: High, mostly inland floodingWilliamstown: Low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrange: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Montpelier: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorthfield: High, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontpelier: High, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Low, mostly inland floodingMoretown: High, mostly inland floodingTopsham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGroton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCorinth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCalais: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMarshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland flooding BarreBarreWilliamstownBerlinOrangeEast Montpelier
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Barremostly inland floodingHigh
Berlinmostly inland floodingModerate
Orangemostly inland floodingModerate
Williamstownmostly inland floodingLow
Barremostly inland floodingLow
East Montpeliermostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Barre covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Barre’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Barre. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Barre total about $1.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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