Chittenden’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chittenden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1992. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Chittenden’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Chittenden flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1992
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Chittenden, from FEMA’s records.
Chittenden isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rutland County.How exposed is Chittenden?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 138 of the 276 Vermont towns we cover.
Chittenden covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Chittenden faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Cold waves
6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Chittenden
Disasters that paid out in Chittenden itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Chittenden) and its biggest flood years.
- 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides3 households applied for aid$61K aid approved
- 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$252K to the Town of Chittenden for repairs
- 2014Severe Winter Storm$8K to the Town of Chittenden for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene4 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$171K to the Town of Chittenden for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$26K to the Town of Chittenden for repairs
- 1999Tropical Storm Floyd$4K to the Town of Chittenden for repairs
Rutland County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Old photos of Chittenden after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Chittenden archive →Get ready for what Chittenden actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Chittenden and its neighbors
Chittenden ranks 5th calmest of 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | High | inland flooding | 7 |
| Goshen | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Chittenden | Moderate | inland flooding | 1 |
| Pittsfield | Moderate | inland flooding | 5 |
| Brandon | Low | inland flooding | 13 |
| Pittsford | Low | inland flooding | 3 |
| Killington | Very low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Rutland | Very low | inland flooding | 7 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in June–August
The month each of Rutland County’s 18 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Chittenden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chittenden.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Chittenden, expected losses total about $778K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Chittenden.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.