Natural hazards · Pownal

Pownal, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pownal comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1981. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pownal?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pownal to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves29%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Pownal faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

29% 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 Pownal flood?

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

6paid claims since 1981

$61Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 5 claims, $59K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Pownal 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 Pownal

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PownalDeclared for Bennington County only

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

20 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $44K to the Town of Pownal for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$758 to the Town of Pownal for repairs

2001

Snow

$3K to the Town of Pownal for repairs

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

Around Pownal

Pownal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Petersburghmostly inland floodingVery high

Stamfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Woodfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Benningtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Pownalmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Pownal covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pownal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Pownal. 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 Pownal total about $1.5M 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.