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Natural hazards · Dorset

Dorset, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dorset comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dorset?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dorset to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding64%Cold waves23%Hurricanes5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Dorset faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Dorset flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979
$129Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 2 claims, $52K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dorset isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bennington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Dorset

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DorsetDeclared for Bennington County only
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$28K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2021

Severe Storm and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$72K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

10 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $13K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2001

Snow

$3K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the Town of Dorset for repairs
Bennington County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Dorset

Dorset and the towns around it

Danby: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Tabor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingManchester: Low, mostly inland floodingRupert: Low, mostly inland floodingPeru: Very low, mostly inland floodingWinhall: Very low, mostly inland floodingTinmouth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPawlet: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWeston: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Holly: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSunderland: High, mostly inland floodingSandgate: High, mostly inland floodingHebron: High, mostly inland floodingSalem: High, mostly inland floodingLandgrove: Very low, mostly inland floodingStratton: Very low, mostly inland floodingJamaica: High, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDorset: Low, mostly inland flooding DorsetDanbyMount TaborManchesterRupertPeruWinhall
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Danbymostly inland floodingModerate
Mount Tabormostly inland floodingModerate
Manchestermostly inland floodingLow
Dorsetmostly inland floodingLow
Rupertmostly inland floodingLow
Perumostly inland floodingVery low
Winhallmostly 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. Dorset covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dorset’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dorset. 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 Dorset total about $1.6M 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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