St. Albans Town Hall · Photo: Mfwills · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in St. Albans
St. Albans isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to St. Albans yet. Flood insurance has paid 65 claims here since 1978.
What St. Albans 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
Earthquakes
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 St. Albans flood? Sometimes: 65 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Albans, from FEMA’s records.
St. Albans isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Albans
Disasters that paid out in St. Albans itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of St. Albans), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storm and Flooding$20K to the Town of St. Albans for repairs
- 2011Tropical Storm Irene2 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding65 households applied for aid$110K aid approved$137K to the Town of St. Albans for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$37K to the Town of St. Albans for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Franklin County has had 27 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of St. Albans after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Albans archive →St. Albans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Fairfield | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Swanton | B+less damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 25 |
| Grand Isle | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| 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 St. Albans 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 St. Albans
Does St. Albans flood?
Flood insurance has paid 65 claims in St. Albans since 1978, $1.3M in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once.
Is St. Albans 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 Franklin County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in St. Albans?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Albans’ 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 St. Albans?
By FEMA money that reached St. Albans, Severe Storms and Flooding (2011): 65 households applied for aid, $110K approved, and $137K to the Town of St. Albans for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Albans.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Albans’ 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.