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Natural hazards · Manchester

Manchester, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Manchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1995. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Manchester?

34
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Manchester to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding60%Cold waves28%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Manchester faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 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 Manchester flood?

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

29paid claims since 1995
$569Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19952026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 10 claims, $195K
  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 3 claims, $36K

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. Manchester 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.
Disasters that hit Manchester

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ManchesterDeclared for Bennington County only
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$47K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2021

Severe Storm and Flooding

$976K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$179K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2001

Snow

$8K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Town of Manchester for repairs
Bennington County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Manchester

Manchester and the towns around it

Winhall: Very low, mostly inland floodingDorset: Low, mostly inland floodingSunderland: High, mostly inland floodingSandgate: High, mostly inland floodingStratton: Very low, mostly inland floodingJamaica: High, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeru: Very low, mostly inland floodingDanby: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMount Tabor: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRupert: Low, mostly inland floodingArlington: High, mostly inland floodingManchester: Low, mostly inland flooding ManchesterWinhallDorsetSunderlandSandgate
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sunderlandmostly inland floodingHigh
Sandgatemostly inland floodingHigh
Manchestermostly inland floodingLow
Dorsetmostly inland floodingLow
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. Manchester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Manchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Manchester. 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 Manchester total about $2.1M 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.

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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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