Enter any address in Franklin County, Vermont to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall and thunderstorms is a notable flood hazard in Franklin County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data records 38 flood events and 18 flash flood events. Recent examples include scattered flash flooding in northern Franklin County on July 21, 2023, due to storms training across the area, and another instance of flash flooding in the Richford area on the same date. A significant flood event also occurred on December 18, 2023, driven by a deep trough and moist flow from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, which brought heavy rainfall and promoted snowmelt.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X, which have seen the highest number of NFIP claims and significant average water depths and payouts, should be particularly attentive to flood risk. Properties located in Zone X_SHADED, while fewer in number, have experienced the deepest average water depths in claims data. Residents in these zones, as well as those in Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone UNKNOWN, should understand their specific flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
36 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Franklin County, Vermont has recorded 60 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 38 river or area floods. The county has received 30 federal disaster declarations, 10 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 8, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 9, 2024 |
| Flooding | Flood | Jul 9, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jul 7, 2023 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Henri | Hurricane | Aug 22, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 31, 2019 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 29, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2023 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2023 | 75.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | 750.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Jan 13, 2018 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Feb 25, 2017 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Feb 25, 2016 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Jun 10, 2015 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Apr 15, 2014 | 250.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 21, 2023
Scattered showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall affected the area on the evening of the 21st, leading to a few areas of flash flooding in the Richford area.
Flash Flood — Jul 21, 2023
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, a few with heavy rainfall affected portions of Vermont during the afternoon on July 21. A few storms trained across northern Franklin County, VT, leading to scattered flash flooding.
Flood — Dec 18, 2023
A very deep trough across the eastern seaboard allowed a deep, mild, moist flow from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic ocean to feed into the northeast United States, including VT and NY on December 17th and 18th.||Surface low pressure across Florida on December 17th moved north along the eastern seaboard into New England on December 18th. Mild, moist air delivered 1.5 to 3+ inches of rainfal...
Flash Flood — Nov 1, 2019
A developing area of low pressure moved from the Gulf of Mexico on during the night of the 30th and moved north into the eastern Great Lakes as it intensified during the evening of October 31st. As the surface low moved across Ontario during the night of October 31st, its associated cold front slowly edged across Vermont during the early morning hours of November 1st.||The upper level pattern w...
Flood — Jan 13, 2018
A very deep upper level trough from Central Canada to the Gulf of Mexico allowed for a warm, moist flow with temperatures in the 50s and 60s through the early evening hours of January 12th across VT. An arctic front moved across VT during the night with temperatures by Saturday morning (January 13th) in the teens and 20s and falling throughout the day. In addition low pressure traveled along th...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Franklin County, Vermont:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Franklin County, Vermont that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.