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Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 45 claims here since 1984. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Chester?

70
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Everything else19%
By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

81% 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 Chester flood?

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

45paid claims since 1984
$1.3Mpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 21 claims, $833K
  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 11 claims, $361K

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. Chester 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 Chester

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Windsor County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$113K to the Town of Chester for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

113 households applied for aid $473K aid approved $3.5M to the Town of Chester for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

142 households applied for aid $216K aid approved $1.8M to the Town of Chester for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$19K to the Town of Chester for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$159K to the Town of Chester for repairs
2001

Snow

$8K to the Town of Chester for repairs
Windsor County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Springfield: Low, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingLudlow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWindham: High, mostly inland floodingGrafton: High, mostly inland floodingCharlestown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWeathersfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRockingham: High, mostly inland floodingWeston: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Holly: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlymouth: High, mostly inland floodingCavendish: High, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTownshend: High, mostly inland floodingJamaica: High, mostly inland floodingAthens: High, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland flooding ChesterSpringfieldAndoverLudlowWindhamGrafton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Chestermostly inland floodingHigh
Windhammostly inland floodingHigh
Graftonmostly inland floodingHigh
Ludlowmostly inland floodingModerate
Springfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Andovermostly inland floodingLow
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. Chester covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chester. 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 Chester total about $1.8M 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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