Natural hazards · Pittsfield

Pittsfield, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pittsfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pittsfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pittsfield to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Cold waves7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Pittsfield faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% 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 Pittsfield flood?

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

5paid claims since 1982

$191Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $191K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rutland County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Pittsfield

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PittsfieldDeclared for Rutland County only

2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$392K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

80 households applied for aid $253K aid approved $956K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs

2001

Snow

$1K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the Town of Pittsfield for repairs

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

Around Pittsfield

Pittsfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh

Stockbridgemostly inland floodingModerate

Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Chittendenmostly inland floodingModerate

Killingtonmostly 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. Pittsfield is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pittsfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Pittsfield. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.