Community preparedness — Vermont
Flooding in mountain river valleys, nor'easters, ice storms, and the isolation of Vermont's most rural communities. UVM Extension in all 14 counties. CERT teams statewide. Ham operators who link communities when mountain roads wash away.
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Community calendar
14
County extension offices
2
NWS forecast offices
10+
Amateur radio clubs
2
Community colleges
Where to plug in
Vermont is a small state with a big hazard: its mountain river valleys are catastrophically flood-prone, as Tropical Storm Irene proved. Nor'easters, ice storms, and the isolation of rural Vermont add to the picture. The state has the most active community organizing culture in New England — town meeting government, strong local food networks, and a neighbor-helping-neighbor ethic that shows up in every disaster response.
University of Vermont Extension serves all 14 Vermont counties. Programming spans agriculture (dairy, maple, vegetables, orchard crops, market farms), horticulture, food safety, nutrition, 4-H, and community development. Vermont's small-farm economy is among the most diversified per capita in the country, and extension serves it all.
The Master Gardener program trains volunteers for Vermont's challenging short season. Extension runs food preservation workshops, farm resilience programming, flood recovery education, and community food systems development. After Tropical Storm Irene devastated Vermont farms in 2011, extension agents were the primary resource helping agricultural producers navigate USDA disaster programs and rebuild.
Vermont Emergency Management coordinates the state's all-hazards emergency program through county and municipal emergency management. Vermont's strong town-meeting tradition means each of 255 municipalities takes local EM seriously. The Irene experience in 2011 — which isolated towns for days when roads washed away — permanently strengthened Vermont's community preparedness culture.
CERT programs are active across Vermont. Chittenden (Burlington), Washington (Montpelier), Windham, Windsor, Orange, Lamoille, and other counties run programs. Training is free and covers flood response, nor'easters, and mountain community isolation.
The American Red Cross Northern New England Region serves Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. First aid, CPR, AED, and water safety classes are offered in Burlington, Montpelier, Brattleboro, and other communities. During Tropical Storm Irene, Red Cross opened shelters and provided disaster relief across multiple VT counties as flood-isolated communities waited for road access to be restored. Volunteer entry points include shelter operations, disaster assessment, and blood drives.
Vermont has clubs in the ARRL Vermont Section. During Tropical Storm Irene, ham radio operators provided the only communications for some isolated Vermont towns when cell towers were flooded or without power for days. ARES teams train specifically for the scenario Vermont faces most — mountain flood isolation cutting off communities from outside contact. Getting licensed costs $15. Study at hamstudy.org.
NWS Burlington primarily serves Vermont, with NWS Albany NY covering the southeastern corner. NWS Burlington runs SKYWARN spotter training before severe weather season. Vermont's mountain valleys create complex weather behavior — cold air pooling, intense local precipitation, and rapid river rises — that trained local spotters understand better than any radar. Training is free.
Vermont's weather hazards include catastrophic flooding from slow-moving storms hitting mountain terrain, nor'easters, ice storms, blizzards, and severe thunderstorms. The flooding risk from Irene-type events is Vermont's primary hazard.
Vermont has over 180 public library locations overseen by the Vermont Department of Libraries. Fletcher Free Library (Burlington), Kellogg-Hubbard Library (Montpelier), and hundreds of small-town libraries run community programming. Vermont's town libraries are deeply embedded in civic life — they serve as warming/cooling centers, community hubs, and emergency information points.
Community College of Vermont (CCV) has campuses across the state. Vermont Technical College serves rural communities. CCV offers EMT certification, healthcare, business, and liberal arts programs. VTC offers engineering technology, nursing, and technical programs critical to Vermont's agricultural and industrial economy.
Why this matters
On August 28, 2011, the remnants of Hurricane Irene moved up the Connecticut River Valley and dropped 3–9 inches of rain across Vermont's steep, saturated mountains. Rivers rose with terrifying speed. The Mad River, White River, Ottauquechee River, and dozens of smaller streams tore through their valleys, destroying bridges and roads with them. Several Vermont towns — Granville, Hancock, Rochester, Bethel — were completely cut off, accessible only by helicopter or foot.
In those isolated communities, the response was entirely internal. Residents organized themselves. Neighbors helped neighbors clear debris. Volunteer fire companies ran chainsaws around the clock. Local officials coordinated resources. Ham radio operators provided the only communications for communities where cell service was down and roads were gone.
When access was eventually restored, the communities that had organized most effectively had the fewest casualties and the fastest recovery. Vermont's governor described it as one of the worst natural disasters in the state's modern history — and one of the most impressive community responses he had witnessed.
Vermont built on the Irene experience. The state invested in community resilience programs, CERT training, and flood-specific preparedness across all 14 counties. The organizations on this page carry that investment forward.
The foundation
Community resilience begins with a household that can take care of itself. Cover the first 72 hours, then extend outward to your street, your neighborhood, your town.
Start with the first 72 hours