Natural hazards · Hardwick

Hardwick, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hardwick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hardwick?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hardwick to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Cold waves9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Hardwick faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% 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 Hardwick flood?

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

60paid claims since 1979

$1.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Vermont/New York Flooding: 13 claims, $944K
Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $73K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Caledonia County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Hardwick

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HardwickDeclared for Caledonia County only

2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

18 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $300K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs

2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

136 households applied for aid $572K aid approved $5.9M to the Town of Hardwick for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

19 households applied for aid $25K aid approved $9K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$80K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Hardwick for repairs

Caledonia County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Hardwick

Hardwick and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Greensboromostly inland floodingHigh

Hardwickmostly inland floodingModerate

Wolcottmostly inland floodingModerate

Elmoremostly inland floodingModerate

Waldenmostly inland floodingLow

Stannardmostly inland floodingLow

Woodburymostly 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. Hardwick covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hardwick’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hardwick. 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 Hardwick total about $1.1M 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.