Enter any address in Washington County, Vermont to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Washington County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 54 flash flood events and 30 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding reported in June 2024 due to persistent heavy showers and thunderstorms, and in July 2024 from tropical moisture combined with a stationary front.
FEMA data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims, with an average payout of $41,361 and an average water depth of 6.0 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED have also seen significant claims, averaging $49,412 with an average water depth of 8.4 feet, while Zone X_SHADED claims averaged $23,898 with a notable average water depth of 12.8 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, X_SHADED, and X_UNSHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
68 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Washington County, Vermont has recorded 84 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 54 flash floods and 30 river or area floods. The county has received 33 federal disaster declarations, 13 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, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Jul 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 Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 15, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2024 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2024 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2024 | 2.50M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2024 | 250.00K |
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | 750.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2023 | 100.00M (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | 1.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | 10.00M |
Flash Flood — May 17, 2025
A weak area of low pressure and associated front moved across northern NY and Vermont during the afternoon and evening hours of May 17th. This system moved across a relatively unstable airmass across the region that resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms.||Some of the thunderstorms were severe with damaging winds and large hail upward of golf ball size (1.75 inches diameter). In additio...
Flash Flood — Jun 23, 2024
An area of persistent heavy showers and thunderstorms affected an area from eastern Chittenden, Lamoille, northern Washington and western Caledonia counties during late afternoon on June 23, 2024. Reliable radar estimates and ground truth reports of 2 to 3+ inches of rainfall in a 2-3 hour window, which led to several reports of flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jul 10, 2024
The remnants of TS Beryl combined with deep tropical moisture and a stationary front draped across the region produced multiple rounds of heavy showers and storms. This led to numerous reports of flash flooding, some locally severe across a roughly 50 mile swath through Chittenden, Washington, Lamoille, Caledonia, Orleans and Essex Counties.
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 11, 2023
Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall affected Vermont from late afternoon of the 9th through the early morning hours on the 11th. During the roughly 36-hour period, 4 to as much as 9 inches of rain fell across much of the Green Mountains, leading to devastating flash and riverine flooding.||Major river flooding was observed in the Winooski, Lamoille and Otter Creek basins with moderate to major f...
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 Washington 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 Washington 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.