Photo: Jared C. Benedict · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Ira
Ira isn’t graded for hazard risk: Ira has 381 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
What Ira 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
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.
Does Ira flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ira, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene1 claim · $12K
Ira isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rutland County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ira
Disasters that paid out in Ira itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Ira), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$50K to the Town of Ira for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $12K
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$15K to the Town of Ira for repairs
Rutland County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Ira after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ira archive →Ira and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castleton | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Clarendon | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Rutland | B+less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Poultney | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Middletown Springs | — | 747 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Ira 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.
- 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 Ira
Does Ira flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Ira since 2011, $12K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (1).
Is Ira 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 Rutland County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Ira?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ira’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 Ira?
By FEMA money that reached Ira, Tropical Storm Irene (2011): 1 households applied for aid, $1K approved, and $50K to the Town of Ira for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 1 paid, $12K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ira.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ira’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.