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West Burke VT 9-21-25Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in West Burke · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in West Burke

West Burke isn’t graded for hazard risk: West Burke has 161 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 26 declared for Caledonia County
By hazard

What West Burke 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

87%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Tornadoes Lightning Wildfire Landslides Hail Cold waves Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 10% of West Burke’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does West Burke flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in West Burke. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

West Burke isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Caledonia County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to West Burke

Disasters that paid out in West Burke itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of West Burke), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides3 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
  2. 2024Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides11 households applied for aid$115K aid approved
  3. 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides13 households applied for aid$24K aid approved
  4. 2011Tropical Storm Irene6 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in West BurkeCaledonia County only

Caledonia County has had 26 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

Old photos of West Burke after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the West Burke archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what West Burke faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in West Burke

Is West Burke 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 Caledonia County, 0.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in West Burke?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Burke’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 West Burke?

By FEMA money that reached West Burke, Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2024): 11 households applied for aid, $115K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Burke.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Burke’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.