Natural hazards · Rupert

Rupert, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rupert comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2011. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rupert?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rupert to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding64%Cold waves23%Hurricanes5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Rupert faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% 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 Rupert flood?

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

2paid claims since 2011

$19Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $19K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Rupert 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 Rupert

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RupertDeclared for Bennington County only

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

8 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $347K to the Town of Rupert for repairs

2001

Snow

$5K to the Town of Rupert for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$83K to the Town of Rupert for repairs

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

Around Rupert

Rupert and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Salemmostly inland floodingHigh

Sandgatemostly inland floodingHigh

Hebronmostly inland floodingHigh

Pawletmostly inland floodingModerate

Rupertmostly inland floodingLow

Dorsetmostly inland floodingLow

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. Rupert 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 Rupert’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rupert. 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.