Methodist Episcopal Church of Isle La Motte · Photo: Mfwills · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Isle La Motte
Isle La Motte isn’t graded for hazard risk: Isle La Motte has 577 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Isle La Motte 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 Isle La Motte flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Isle La Motte. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Isle La Motte isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Grand Isle County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Isle La Motte
Disasters that paid out in Isle La Motte itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Isle La Motte), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding29 households applied for aid$17K aid approved$258K to the Town of Isle La Motte for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, a Tornado, and Flooding$106K to the Town of Isle La Motte for repairs
Grand Isle County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Isle La Motte after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Isle La Motte archive →Isle La Motte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alburgh | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Champlain | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 29 |
| Chazy | Cmore damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Beekmantown | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| North Hero | — | not graded yet | |
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 Isle La Motte 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 Isle La Motte
Is Isle La Motte 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 Grand Isle County, 1.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Isle La Motte?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Isle La Motte’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 Isle La Motte?
By FEMA money that reached Isle La Motte, Severe Storms and Flooding (2011): 29 households applied for aid, $17K approved, and $258K to the Town of Isle La Motte for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Isle La Motte.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Isle La Motte’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.