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Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 1984. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Plainfield?

43
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding77%Cold waves5%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% 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 Plainfield flood?

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

22paid claims since 1984
$1.6Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 6 claims, $451K

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

40flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Plainfield

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Washington County only
2024

Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

77 households applied for aid $760K aid approved $1.3M to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

112 households applied for aid $627K aid approved $232K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2017

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $23K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $67K aid approved $481K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$85K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
1999

Tropical Storm Floyd

$34K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
Washington County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Marshfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGroton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Montpelier: Very low, mostly inland floodingCabot: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPeacham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCalais: Low, mostly inland floodingRyegate: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTopsham: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrange: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMontpelier: High, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddlesex: Low, mostly inland floodingBarre: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland flooding PlainfieldMarshfieldGrotonEast Montpelier
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Grotonmostly inland floodingModerate
Plainfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Marshfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
East Montpeliermostly 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. Plainfield 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 Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Plainfield. 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.

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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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