Bridge 6 · Photo: Mfwills · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Johnson as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Johnson gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns, #48 of 71 in Vermont. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1995.
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 Johnson 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.
What’s behind Johnson’s grade
River and rain flooding is 90% of the building damage FEMA expects in Johnson, and Johnson’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts. Winter storms add 1%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #48 of 71 in Vermont; lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Johnson’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Vermont town has lower expected damage than 66% of U.S. towns; within the state, Johnson has more expected damage per building than 67% of Vermont towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Johnson: $913K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Johnson flood? Sometimes: 19 flood claims since 1995
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Johnson, from FEMA’s records: 12.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Vermont/New York Flooding4 claims · $191K
- The December nor’easter2 claims · $12K
- Hurricane Irene1 claim · $2K
Johnson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lamoille County.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Johnson
Disasters that paid out in Johnson itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Johnson), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$582K to the Town of Johnson for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
- 2019Severe Storm and Flooding$79K to the Town of Johnson for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2014Severe Storms and Flooding$283K to the Town of Johnson for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene$6K to the Town of Johnson for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $2K
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$38K to the Town of Johnson for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding$3K to the Town of Johnson for repairs
Show all 8
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$22K to the Town of Johnson for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2001Snow$5K to the Town of Johnson for repairs
Lamoille County has had 34 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Johnson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Johnson archive →Johnson and its neighbors
Johnson is 3rd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde Park | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Morristown | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Johnson | B−less damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
| Eden | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Cambridge | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Waterville | — | 680 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 Johnson 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 Johnson
Is Johnson at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Johnson has lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #48 of 71 in Vermont. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). 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 Johnson flood?
Flood insurance has paid 19 claims in Johnson since 1995, $403K in all, or 12.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Vermont/New York Flooding (4).
Is Johnson 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 Lamoille County, 1.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Johnson?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Johnson’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 Johnson?
By FEMA money that reached Johnson, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): $582K to the Town of Johnson for repairs. By flood claims, Vermont/New York Flooding: 4 paid, $191K.
Is Johnson at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (90%), and Johnson’s rate for it is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Johnson.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Johnson’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.