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Natural hazards · Swanton

Swanton, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Swanton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Swanton?

31
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Swanton to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Earthquakes7%Cold waves5%Lightning5%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Swanton faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong wind

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Swanton flood?

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

25paid claims since 1978
$655Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Swanton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.
Disasters that hit Swanton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SwantonDeclared for Franklin County only
2019

Severe Storm and Flooding

$21K to the Town of Swanton for repairs
2017

Severe Storm and Flooding

$7K to the Town of Swanton for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storms

$9K to the Town of Swanton for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$44K to the Town of Swanton for repairs
Franklin County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Swanton

Swanton and the towns around it

Highgate: Low, mostly inland floodingAlburgh: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Hero: High, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. Albans: Very low, mostly inland floodingSheldon: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Low, mostly inland floodingIsle La Motte: High, mostly inland floodingChamplain: High, mostly inland floodingRouses Point: High, mostly inland floodingGrand Isle: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBeekmantown: High, mostly inland floodingBakersfield: Low, mostly inland floodingFletcher: Low, mostly inland floodingFairfax: Low, mostly inland floodingEnosburgh: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGeorgia: Low, mostly inland floodingSwanton: Low, mostly inland flooding SwantonHighgateAlburghNorth HeroFairfieldSt. AlbansSheldon
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Alburghmostly inland floodingHigh
North Heromostly inland floodingHigh
Swantonmostly inland floodingLow
Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Highgatemostly inland floodingLow
Sheldonmostly inland floodingLow
St. Albansmostly 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. Swanton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Swanton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Swanton. 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 Swanton 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.

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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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