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Natural hazards · Townshend

Townshend, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Townshend comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1996. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Townshend?

63
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Townshend to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Cold waves10%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Townshend faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% 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 Townshend flood?

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

14paid claims since 1996
$846Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 8 claims, $474K
  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 4 claims, $364K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Townshend isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Windham County.
Disasters that hit Townshend

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TownshendDeclared for Windham County only
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

$18K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

7 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $302K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2021

Severe Storm and Flooding

$256K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

17 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $966K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm

$30K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$129K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2001

Snow

$5K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$244K to the Town of Townshend for repairs
Windham County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Townshend

Townshend and the towns around it

Wardsboro: Very low, mostly inland floodingWindham: High, mostly inland floodingGrafton: High, mostly inland floodingAthens: High, mostly inland floodingNewfane: High, mostly inland floodingJamaica: High, mostly inland floodingStratton: Very low, mostly inland floodingDover: Very low, mostly inland floodingLondonderry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChester: High, mostly inland floodingAndover: Low, mostly inland floodingRockingham: High, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookline: High, mostly inland floodingDummerston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinhall: Very low, mostly inland floodingTownshend: High, mostly inland flooding TownshendWardsboroWindhamGraftonAthensNewfaneJamaica
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Newfanemostly inland floodingHigh
Jamaicamostly inland floodingHigh
Townshendmostly inland floodingHigh
Windhammostly inland floodingHigh
Graftonmostly inland floodingHigh
Athensmostly inland floodingHigh
Wardsboromostly 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. Townshend covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Townshend’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Townshend. 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 Townshend total about $1.9M 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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