Natural hazards · Berlin

Berlin, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berlin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 57 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berlin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berlin to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding82%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Berlin faces

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

Inland flooding

82% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Berlin flood?

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

57paid claims since 1979

$5.9Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Vermont/New York Flooding: 24 claims, $3.9M
Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $754K
December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Berlin is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Berlin

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerlinDeclared for Washington County only

2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $68K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

69 households applied for aid $360K aid approved $2.4M to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

55 households applied for aid $848K aid approved $448K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $576K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$159K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Berlin for repairs

Washington County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Berlin

Berlin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Barremostly inland floodingHigh

Northfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Moretownmostly inland floodingHigh

Montpeliermostly inland floodingHigh

Berlinmostly inland floodingModerate

Middlesexmostly inland floodingLow

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. Berlin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berlin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Berlin. 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 Berlin total about $1.5M 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.