Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0FEMA puts Pomfret’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 61% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pomfret gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, #76 of 155 in Connecticut. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%), then hurricanes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2000.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Pomfret faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Pomfret’s grade
River and rain flooding is 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pomfret, and Pomfret’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 20% (higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts).
C+ #76 of 155 in Connecticut; higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Pomfret’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Connecticut town has higher expected damage than 62% of U.S. towns; within the state, Pomfret has less expected damage per building than 51% of Connecticut towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Pomfret: $1.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Pomfret flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2000
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pomfret, from FEMA’s records: 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Pomfret isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: the county.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pomfret
Disasters that paid out in Pomfret itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Pomfret), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2015Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$14K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2013Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$16K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy$15K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene$47K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2006Snow$11K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$43K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
Show all 9
- 2005Record Snow$16K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2003Snow$12K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
- 2003Snow$9K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs
Old photos of Pomfret after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pomfret archive →Pomfret and its neighbors
Pomfret is 3rd of the 7 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Woodstock | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Pomfret | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Brooklyn | C+more damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Eastford | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Killingly | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Putnam | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| South Woodstock | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Pomfret faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Pomfret
Is Pomfret at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pomfret has higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #76 of 155 in Connecticut. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%) and hurricanes (20%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Pomfret flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Pomfret since 2000, $134K in all, or 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Pomfret in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In the county, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Pomfret?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pomfret’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Pomfret?
By FEMA money that reached Pomfret, Tropical Storm Irene (2011): $47K to the Town of Pomfret for repairs.
Is Pomfret at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Pomfret’s rate for it is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pomfret.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pomfret’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.