TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
CalaisGood morning
Natural hazards · Calais

Calais, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Calais comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2011. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Calais?

24
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Calais to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Cold waves7%Landslides5%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Calais faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Landslides

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesStrong 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 Calais flood?

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

3paid claims since 2011
$28Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20112026

Biggest named events

  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 1 claim, $11K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Calais 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.
Disasters that hit Calais

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CalaisDeclared for Washington County only
2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved $47K to the Town of Calais for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

17 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $1.3M to the Town of Calais for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm

$10K to the Town of Calais for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $836 aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Calais for repairs
Washington County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Calais

Calais and the towns around it

East Montpelier: Very low, mostly inland floodingWorcester: Low, mostly inland floodingMarshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWoodbury: Low, mostly inland floodingElmore: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontpelier: High, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStowe: Low, mostly inland floodingCabot: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGroton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeacham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHardwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWolcott: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMorristown: Very low, mostly inland floodingCalais: Low, mostly inland flooding CalaisEast MontpelierWorcesterMarshfieldWoodburyElmore
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Elmoremostly inland floodingModerate
Marshfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Worcestermostly inland floodingLow
Calaismostly inland floodingLow
Woodburymostly 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. Calais is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Calais’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Calais. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Calais, VTWashington CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Calais is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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