Natural hazards · Peru

Peru, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peru comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1987. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peru?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peru to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding66%Cold waves21%Hurricanes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Peru 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

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% 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 Peru flood?

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

6paid claims since 1987

$113Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $111K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Peru 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 Peru

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PeruDeclared for Bennington County only

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $277K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$51K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$28K to the Town of Peru for repairs

2001

Snow

$3K to the Town of Peru for repairs

Bennington County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Peru

Peru and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mount Tabormostly inland floodingModerate

Dorsetmostly inland floodingLow

Perumostly inland floodingVery low

Landgrovemostly 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. Peru covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Peru’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Peru. 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 Peru total about $1.2M 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.