Enter any address in Rutland County, Vermont to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and general flooding dominate the historical flood record in Rutland County, accounting for 70 combined events over the last 30 years, alongside 3 lakeshore flood events. Flash floods alone accounted for 2 fatal incidents. Recent NOAA records illustrate these hazards, such as the July 29, 2024 slow-moving thunderstorms that dropped two to three inches of rain in the Rutland and Clarendon area, causing high water and flash flooding. Similarly, training thunderstorms on August 4, 2023, brought torrential rainfall and significant flash flooding to the City of Rutland, resulting in road closures and property and infrastructure damage. A broader flooding event occurred on December 18, 2023, when mild, moist air delivered 1.5 to 3 inches of rainfall combined with 1 to 1.5 inches of snowmelt.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones. Zone A carries the heaviest administrative burden with 219 claims averaging a payout of $20,482 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Zone X accounts for 43 claims with an average payout of $16,151 and an average water depth of 15 inches. Shaded Zone X properties recorded 13 claims with an average payout of $26,118 and an average depth of 8 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties logged 7 claims averaging $30,110 with an average water depth of 3 inches. Residents in high-risk Zone A and standard Zone X areas should pay the closest attention to flood risks given the frequency of damaging claims and recorded water depths.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
43 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Rutland County, Vermont has recorded 73 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 37 flash floods and 33 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 7 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 Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 18, 2023 |
| Flooding | Flood | Jul 9, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jul 7, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Henri | Hurricane | Aug 22, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 15, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 9, 2014 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2023 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2023 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2023 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2019 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 15, 2019 | 1.00M |
| Flood | Jun 19, 2017 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2017 | 3.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2024
Slow moving thunderstorms produced localized rainfall amounts of two to three inches in the Rutland/Clarendon, VT area during late afternoon/early evening of July 29, 2024. A few reports of high water and flash flooding were received.
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 — Jul 13, 2023
Scattered thunderstorms, some with torrential rainfall affected portions of Addison and Rutland Counties. One to locally four inches of rain fell in a some areas, leading to a few reports of flash flooding and road washouts.
Flash Flood — Jul 7, 2023
Clusters of showers and thunderstorms crossed the Green Mountain state on July 7, 2023. Torrential downpours were frequent with some storms repeatedly training over the southern and central Green Mountains as well in portions of northeastern Vermont where, in some cases, considerable flash flooding occurred.
Flash Flood — Aug 4, 2023
Training showers and thunderstorms with torrential rainfall affected portions of Rutland and Windsor Counties in Vermont during the late afternoon and early evening hours of August 4, 2023. The City of Rutland experienced significant flash flooding with roads closed and some significant property/infrastructure damage. Some of these thunderstorms also produced wind damage and hail.
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 Rutland 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 Rutland County, Vermont that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, 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.