Natural hazards · Bridgewater

Bridgewater, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bridgewater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1989. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bridgewater?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bridgewater to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Bridgewater faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bridgewater flood?

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

21paid claims since 1989

$1.6Mpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $1.3M
Vermont/New York Flooding: 7 claims, $197K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Bridgewater isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Windsor County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bridgewater

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BridgewaterDeclared for Windsor County only

2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$404K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs

2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

13 households applied for aid $29K aid approved $6.2M to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

28 households applied for aid $53K aid approved $1.8M to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs

2001

Snow

$4K to the Town of Bridgewater for repairs

Windsor County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Bridgewater

Bridgewater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bridgewatermostly inland floodingHigh

Plymouthmostly inland floodingHigh

Woodstockmostly inland floodingHigh

Barnardmostly inland floodingModerate

Stockbridgemostly inland floodingModerate

Pomfretmostly inland floodingModerate

Readingmostly inland floodingModerate

Killingtonmostly 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. Bridgewater covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bridgewater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bridgewater. 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 Bridgewater total about $1.1M 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.