Natural hazards · Wells River

Wells River, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wells River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wells River?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wells River to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Everything else22%

By hazard

What Wells River 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 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Wells River flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wells River.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wells River isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Orange County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Wells River

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Wells River itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Village of Wells River.

Brought FEMA money into Wells RiverDeclared for Orange County only

2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $63K to the Village of Wells River for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Irene

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Orange County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Wells River

Wells River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bathmostly inland floodingHigh

Haverhillmostly inland floodingHigh

Wells Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Newburymostly inland floodingModerate

Ryegatemostly 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. Wells River 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 Wells River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Wells River. 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.