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Natural hazards · Westminster

Westminster, VT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westminster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1987. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Westminster?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westminster to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves10%Hurricanes5%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Westminster faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 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 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 Westminster flood?

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

6paid claims since 1987
$483Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $407K
  • Vermont/New York Flooding: 1 claim, $45K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Westminster 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 Westminster

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestminsterDeclared for Windham County only
2021

Severe Storm and Flooding

$969K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$623K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$104K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
2001

Snow

$4K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
1999

Tropical Storm Floyd

$17K to the Town of Westminster for repairs
Windham County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Westminster

Westminster and the towns around it

Walpole: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRockingham: High, mostly inland floodingPutney: Low, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Low, mostly inland floodingAthens: High, mostly inland floodingBellows Falls: High, mostly inland floodingBrookline: High, mostly inland floodingWestmoreland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLangdon: High, mostly inland floodingAlstead: High, mostly inland floodingCharlestown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: High, mostly inland floodingDummerston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTownshend: High, mostly inland floodingNewfane: High, mostly inland floodingSurry: High, mostly inland floodingChesterfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKeene: High, mostly inland floodingWestminster: Low, mostly inland flooding WestminsterWalpoleRockinghamPutneyWestminsterAthensBellows FallsBrooklineWestmoreland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Bellows Fallsmostly inland floodingHigh
Rockinghammostly inland floodingHigh
Athensmostly inland floodingHigh
Brooklinemostly inland floodingHigh
Walpolemostly inland floodingModerate
Westmorelandmostly inland floodingModerate
Westminstermostly inland floodingLow
Westminstermostly inland floodingLow
Putneymostly 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. Westminster covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westminster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Westminster. 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 Westminster total about $1.1M 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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