Flood & Hurricane Risk in Rutland
Rutland carries no hurricane or coastal risk given its inland Green Mountains location, but a real, well-documented history of Otter Creek flooding -- most severely during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, and, more recently but comparatively less severely for the city itself, during the July 2023 Vermont floods.
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Learn moreNo Hurricane or Coastal Storm-Surge Risk
Rutland sits inland in Vermont's Green Mountains region, far from any coastline -- this record's own research this pass found no evidence of hurricane or coastal-storm-surge risk, consistent with Vermont's interior New England location.
Rutland's Defining Hazard: Otter Creek
Otter Creek runs directly through Rutland, and the city carries a real, documented history of significant flooding. During Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, Otter Creek flooded Rutland with a cited peak discharge of approximately 19,000 cubic feet per second, severely damaging homes, roads, and other infrastructure, with floodwaters persisting for four days.
The July 2023 Vermont Floods: A Real, More Contained Event for Rutland City Specifically
The July 2023 Vermont floods caused over $600 million in statewide damage, more than 34 destroyed houses, and 2 fatalities. Rutland CITY officials reported no major infrastructure damage and that the city's drinking water and roads remained in good shape -- though real, localized flooding still occurred, with 6 to 8 feet of water reported along South Main Street near Strongs Avenue and 26 people evacuated, and nearby Killington (within Rutland County) suffered real road damage from flash flooding just days before the main event.
No Significant Tornado, Earthquake, or Wildfire Risk Found
This record's own research this pass did not surface evidence of significant tornado, earthquake, or wildfire risk specific to Rutland, consistent with the Northeast's generally lower exposure to these particular hazards relative to several of this project's other Tier A+ markets.
Key takeaways
- Rutland carries no hurricane or coastal-storm-surge risk, given its inland Green Mountains location.
- Otter Creek runs directly through Rutland, with a real, documented history of significant flooding -- most severely during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
- The July 2023 Vermont floods caused real, localized flooding in Rutland city (near Strongs Avenue), though officials reported no major citywide infrastructure damage.
- No significant tornado, earthquake, or wildfire risk was found -- confirm a specific target property's current FEMA flood-zone status directly.
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