Natural hazards · Milton

Milton, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Milton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1982. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Milton?

26
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Milton to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Avalanches14%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Milton faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Avalanches

14% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 0% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Milton flood?

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

23paid claims since 1982
$490Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 8 claims, $193K

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. Milton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chittenden County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Milton

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MiltonDeclared for Chittenden County only
2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

23 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $10K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2019

Severe Storm and Flooding

$108K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$21K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2015

Severe Storm and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storms

$14K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

5 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $46K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $71K aid approved $17K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Milton for repairs
2001

Snow

$6K to the Town of Milton for repairs
Chittenden County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Milton

Milton and the towns around it

South Hero: Moderate, mostly inland floodingColchester: Very low, mostly inland floodingGrand Isle: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestford: Low, mostly inland floodingGeorgia: Low, mostly inland floodingFairfax: Low, mostly inland floodingPlattsburgh: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeru: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Low, mostly inland floodingChesterfield: High, mostly inland floodingSouth Burlington: Very low, mostly inland floodingAu Sable: High, mostly inland floodingWinooski: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEssex: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Hero: High, mostly inland floodingSt. Albans: Very low, mostly inland floodingUnderhill: Low, mostly inland floodingCambridge: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFletcher: Low, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland floodingMilton: Low, mostly inland flooding MiltonSouth HeroColchesterGrand IsleWestfordGeorgiaFairfax
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
South Heromostly inland floodingModerate
Grand Islemostly inland floodingModerate
Fairfaxmostly inland floodingLow
Westfordmostly inland floodingLow
Miltonmostly inland floodingLow
Georgiamostly inland floodingLow
Colchestermostly 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. Milton covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Milton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Milton. 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 Milton total about $3.4M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Milton, VTChittenden CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Milton is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01