Natural hazards · Canaan

Canaan, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canaan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1981. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canaan?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canaan to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Cold waves9%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Canaan faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Canaan flood?

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

6paid claims since 1981

$344Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Essex County.

Disasters that hit Canaan

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CanaanDeclared for Essex County only

2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

8 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $95K to the Town of Canaan for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $40K to the Town of Canaan for repairs

1999

Tropical Storm Floyd

$5K to the Town of Canaan for repairs

Essex County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Canaan

Canaan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Colebrookmostly avalanchesVery high

Stewartstownmostly avalanchesHigh

Clarksvillemostly avalanchesHigh

Pittsburgmostly avalanchesHigh

Canaanmostly inland floodingHigh

Lemingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Canaan 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 Canaan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Canaan. 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.