Earth Support Corp

Infrastructure & hazardsNew England

Storms keep washing out New England’s roads, and 1 in 5 high‑hazard dams is rated poor or worse

Since 2011, $1.3B of permanent repairs after declared disasters in New England have run through FEMA’s Public Assistance program — 53% of it roads and bridges. Where that money went, the condition of 1,030 high-hazard dams, and what the landslide inventory can and can’t tell you.
  • Live · as of Sep 11, 2026
  • 28,665 records
  • Six New England states · 2005–2026
  • 5 sources · method

Permanent repairs through FEMA aid since 2011

$1.3B

53% roads & bridges · 12,342 projects

High-hazard dams rated poor or unsatisfactory

206

20% of 1,030 · NID as of Sep 11, 2026

Federal disaster declarations since 2005

197

135 major disasters, 59 emergencies

Mapped landslide records

3,513

87% in Vermont — where geologists surveyed

Data as of Sep 11, 2026.

01 · Repair dollars

What disasters cost the ground

After a federally declared disaster, FEMA’s Public Assistance program pays towns and state agencies to clear debris and rebuild what broke. Across 96 declarations since 2011, the single largest line is the one closest to the ground: washed-out roads, culverts and bridges.

Jul 2023 flooding (VT) and Tropical Storm Irene (VT) top the repair bill

FEMA Public Assistance dollars per disaster declaration, split by type of work. The 12 costliest since 2011.
  • Roads & bridges (C)
  • Other permanent work (D–G)
  • Debris & emergency work (A–B)
  1. Jul 2023 flooding (VT)DR-4720-VT · 1,387 projects
    $295.4M
  2. Tropical Storm Irene (VT)DR-4022-VT · 3,183 projects
    $248.4M
  3. Oct 2011 storm (CT)DR-4046-CT · 651 projects
    $127.8M
  4. Jan 2015 winter storm (MA)DR-4214-MA · 1,205 projects
    $120.4M
  5. Jun 2011 tornado (MA)DR-1994-MA · 243 projects
    $99.8M
  6. Oct 2011 winter storm (MA)DR-4051-MA · 641 projects
    $95.5M
  7. Feb 2013 winter storm (MA)DR-4110-MA · 858 projects
    $90.8M
  8. Hurricane Sandy (CT)DR-4087-CT · 690 projects
    $89.1M
  9. Jul 2024 flooding (VT)DR-4810-VT · 540 projects
    $82.9M
  10. Jan 2024 flooding (ME)DR-4764-ME · 354 projects
    $64.8M
  11. Tropical Storm Irene (CT)DR-4023-CT · 1,427 projects
    $62.8M
  12. Dec 2023 flooding (ME)DR-4754-ME · 519 projects
    $49.4M
n = 23,925 projects in 96 declarationsSource: OpenFEMA Public Assistance Funded ProjectsCSV
▸ Show the numbers
DeclarationDeclaredProjectsRoads & bridgesOther permanentEmergencyTotal
DR-4720-VT · Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesJul 14, 20231,387$127,810,391$114,379,570$53,206,185$295,396,147
DR-4022-VT · Tropical Storm IreneSep 1, 20113,183$135,212,178$75,024,365$38,153,594$248,390,136
DR-4046-CT · Severe StormNov 17, 2011651$46,274$1,374,759$126,373,370$127,794,403
DR-4214-MA · Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and FloodingApr 13, 20151,205$1,099,966$17,044,233$102,258,634$120,402,833
DR-1994-MA · Severe Storms and TornadoesJun 15, 2011243$396,166$63,031,753$36,387,877$99,815,797
DR-4051-MA · Severe Storm and SnowstormJan 6, 2012641$6,076$5,662,415$89,842,997$95,511,487
DR-4110-MA · Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and FloodingApr 19, 2013858$1,007,891$23,093,949$66,649,340$90,751,180
DR-4087-CT · Hurricane SandyOct 30, 2012690$2,738,333$33,241,905$53,090,005$89,070,243
DR-4810-VT · Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesAug 20, 2024540$65,235,976$14,629,085$2,999,980$82,865,041
DR-4764-ME · Severe Storms and FloodingMar 20, 2024354$32,806,799$24,515,922$7,483,170$64,805,890
DR-4023-CT · Tropical Storm IreneSep 2, 20111,427$6,793,346$22,892,830$33,071,543$62,757,719
DR-4754-ME · Severe Storm and FloodingJan 30, 2024519$34,339,634$10,285,682$4,746,779$49,372,096

2011 and 2023 were the costliest years

FEMA Public Assistance dollars by the year the disaster was declared, by type of work.
  • Roads & bridges (C)
  • Other permanent work (D–G)
  • Debris & emergency work (A–B)
$0$200M$400M$600M$800M2011201320152017201920212023

Not inflation-adjusted. Recent disasters keep growing as projects are written; DR-4919-MA has no project records yet.

n = 23,925 projectsSource: OpenFEMA
▸ Show the numbers
YearRoads & bridgesOther permanentEmergencyProjects
2011$205,746,604$196,223,284$324,142,22910,241
2012$9,015,385$58,500,800$156,825,4732,162
2013$19,397,763$27,472,812$136,539,2592,359
2014$1,620,921$6,233,523$2,851,27086
2015$3,613,902$21,309,204$136,649,3721,881
2016$0$0$00
2017$19,834,134$9,851,855$906,347228
2018$22,059,180$89,081,854$91,628,5091,651
2019$15,282,612$196,732$381,811149
2020$21,155,872$3,969,226$883,866203
2021$25,470,600$13,691,922$41,165,959594
2022$1,474,473$5,207,971$43,463,128195
2023$178,560,722$126,543,441$58,958,1652,086
2024$181,867,678$75,669,658$29,956,8922,090

Roads and bridges take 53% of permanent-repair money

FEMA damage categories, dollars since 2011. Permanent work (C–G) rebuilds; A–B is cleanup and emergency response.
  1. C · Roads & bridges
    $705.1M
  2. B · Emergency protective measures
    $628.3M
  3. A · Debris removal
    $396.1M
  4. G · Parks, recreation & other
    $331.4M
  5. E · Public buildings & equipment
    $151.1M
  6. F · Public utilities
    $96.6M
  7. D · Water control facilities
    $54.8M

Highlighted: the ground-facing categories — C, roads and bridges (incl. culverts and embankments), and D, water-control facilities such as dams, levees and seawalls.

n = 23,925 projectsSource: OpenFEMACSV
▸ Show the numbers
CategoryProjectsDollarsFederal share
A · Debris removal2,848$396,083,831$292,657,277
B · Emergency protective measures8,735$628,268,448$482,465,357
C · Roads & bridges8,411$705,099,846$552,095,857
D · Water control facilities139$54,804,861$40,792,216
E · Public buildings & equipment1,369$151,101,110$119,233,855
F · Public utilities661$96,612,991$73,917,262
G · Parks, recreation & other1,762$331,433,320$234,557,822

5 of the 10 counties with the most repair money are in Vermont

FEMA permanent-repair dollars (categories C–G) by county, disasters declared 2011–2024. Hover a county.
Permanent repairs (log scale)
$75.2K$238M
MENHVTMARICT
n = 67 counties · $294M in statewide projects not mappedSource: OpenFEMA; Census boundariesCSV

Look up a county

Every county with FEMA Public Assistance projects since 2011. “Declared” counts major-disaster declarations naming the county since 2005.

67 of 67 rows

FEMA Public Assistance dollars by county
Washington, VT$238M
Windsor, VT$101.1M
Hampden, MA$68.2M
Lamoille, VT$52.1M
Grafton, NH$48.2M
Windham, VT$47M
Caledonia, VT$45.2M
Fairfield, CT$42M
Merrimack, NH$39.5M
York, ME$34.9M
Page 1 / 7
n = 67 countiesSource: OpenFEMACSV

The biggest single ground repairs

Largest FEMA projects in roads & bridges (C) and water control (D), as titled by the applicant.
  1. NH DOT Seawall Repairs

    DR-4370-NH · Merrimack · Water control facilities

    $23.7M
  2. AOT Rail Bridge 501

    DR-4022-VT · Washington · Roads & bridges

    $14.8M
  3. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services - Andrew Drive Causeway Washout

    DR-4764-ME · Kennebec · Roads & bridges

    $7.6M
  4. Loon Bridge

    DR-4026-NH · Grafton · Roads & bridges

    $7.4M
  5. Peaks Island Seashore - WTBC

    DR-4764-ME · Cumberland · Roads & bridges

    $6M
  6. Black Brook Road, Site 1 - 7

    DR-4028-MA · Berkshire · Roads & bridges

    $5.3M
  7. HDE Hydroelectric Penstock

    DR-4810-VT · Caledonia · Water control facilities

    $5.3M
  8. Crane Brook Road

    DR-4740-NH · Sullivan · Roads & bridges

    $5.2M
  9. Red Village Road Bridges (2) - V1

    DR-4826-VT · Caledonia · Roads & bridges

    $4.9M
  10. Lebanon (City of) Slayton Hill Restoration

    DR-4139-NH · Grafton · Roads & bridges

    $4.4M
Top 10 of 8,550 C & D projectsSource: OpenFEMACSV
▸ Show the numbers
ProjectDeclarationCountyCategoryAmount
NH DOT Seawall RepairsDR-4370-NHMerrimack CountyWater control facilities$23,744,728
AOT Rail Bridge 501DR-4022-VTWashington CountyRoads & bridges$14,819,168
The Department of Administrative and Financial Services - Andrew Drive Causeway WashoutDR-4764-MEKennebec CountyRoads & bridges$7,624,651
Loon BridgeDR-4026-NHGrafton CountyRoads & bridges$7,394,216
Peaks Island Seashore - WTBCDR-4764-MECumberland CountyRoads & bridges$6,009,459
Black Brook Road, Site 1 - 7DR-4028-MABerkshire CountyRoads & bridges$5,318,211
HDE Hydroelectric PenstockDR-4810-VTCaledonia CountyWater control facilities$5,291,081
Crane Brook RoadDR-4740-NHSullivan CountyRoads & bridges$5,181,939
Red Village Road Bridges (2) - V1DR-4826-VTCaledonia CountyRoads & bridges$4,925,000
Lebanon (City of) Slayton Hill RestorationDR-4139-NHGrafton CountyRoads & bridges$4,404,350
Gorham's Pond DamDR-4629-CTFairfield CountyWater control facilities$3,461,024
Main Street retaining wallDR-4720-VTCaledonia CountyRoads & bridges$2,957,000

02 · Declarations

The years the storms came

Each bar counts state declarations — a storm that hits three states is three. Most are rain and flood events; the latest on file is DR-4919-MA (severe winter storm and snowstorm, Jun 30, 2026).

2011 brought the most federal declarations (24); 2005 and 2024 had 20 each

Major-disaster and emergency declarations in the six states, by year declared and type of event, 2005–2026.
  • Severe storm & flood
  • Hurricane & tropical
  • Winter, snow & ice
  • Other
051015202520052008201120142017202020232026

“Other” is mostly 2020’s COVID-19 emergencies and 2005’s declarations for sheltering Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

n = 194 declarations (3 fire-management declarations not shown)Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations SummariesCSV
▸ Show the numbers
YearSevere storm & floodHurricane & tropicalWinter, snow & iceOtherMajor disasterEmergency
200550105416
2006302032
2007900090
20081100083
2009203050
2010910183
2011111120168
2012380074
2013900182
2014101020
2015601070
2016000000
2017300030
20187220110
2019200020
202011016711
2021360054
2022012030
20231020093
202417120173
2025000000
2026001010

Vermont (33) and New Hampshire (32) have the most major-disaster declarations

Major-disaster and emergency declarations per state per year. Hover a cell to see which.
CTMEMANHRIVT2005364522006121120071311122008314320092111201012322120115255252012233212013212212201422015111112201620172120182223220191120203342332021312122022111202351242024331436202520261
n = 194 declarationsSource: OpenFEMA
▸ Show the numbers
StateMajor disasterEmergency
Connecticut1512
Maine2610
Massachusetts1815
New Hampshire329
Rhode Island118
Vermont335

Find a disaster declaration

Every major-disaster (DR) declaration in New England since 2005, with FEMA Public Assistance dollars where projects exist (2011 on).

135 of 135 rows

Major disaster declarations
DR-4919-MASevere Winter Storm and Snowstorm
DR-4826-VTSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$14.2M
DR-4820-CTSevere Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$28.9M
DR-4816-VTSevere Storms and Flooding$2.1M
DR-4810-VTSevere Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$82.9M
DR-4812-NHSevere Storm and Flooding$8.3M
DR-4799-NHSevere Winter Storm and Flooding$1.4M
DR-4785-MESevere Winter Storm$6.3M
DR-4780-MASevere Storms and Flooding
DR-4770-VTSevere Winter Storm$5.8M
Page 1 / 14
n = 135 major-disaster declarationsSource: OpenFEMACSV

03 · Dams

The typical high-hazard dam here was finished in 1914

New England has 1,030 dams whose failure would probably cost lives. The typical one was finished in 1914; 343 of the 926 with a known date predate 1900. Most are earth embankments (641).

What “high hazard” means. It describes the consequence if a dam failed (probable loss of life downstream), not the chance it will. Condition is the regulator’s latest assessment reported to the National Inventory of Dams, and states inspect and rate differently — compare states with care. We show no inundation or emergency-plan information.

20% of New England’s high-hazard dams carry a poor or unsatisfactory rating

Every high-hazard dam in the National Inventory of Dams, colored by its latest condition assessment. Locations rounded to about 1 km.
n = 1,030 high-hazard dams · 76 not ratedSource: USACE National Inventory of Dams (updated Sep 11, 2026)CSV
▸ Show the numbers
ConditionHigh-hazard damsShare
Satisfactory45344%
Fair29529%
Poor17917%
Unsatisfactory273%
Not rated767%

New Hampshire (37%) and Rhode Island (36%) report the most poor ratings

High-hazard dams by state and latest condition assessment. Right: share rated poor or unsatisfactory.
  • Satisfactory
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Unsatisfactory
  • Not rated
  1. New Hampshire163 dams
    37%
  2. Rhode Island95 dams
    36%
  3. Vermont69 dams
    29%
  4. Maine79 dams
    28%
  5. Massachusetts342 dams
    15%
  6. Connecticut282 dams
    6%
n = 1,030 damsSource: USACE NID
▸ Show the numbers
StateSatisfactoryFairPoorUnsatisfactoryNot ratedPoor/unsat. share
Connecticut18460161216%
Maine4313814128%
Massachusetts14811742112415%
New Hampshire59296001537%
Rhode Island552340436%
Vermont14241911129%

Private dams are most often rated poor

Share of high-hazard dams rated poor or unsatisfactory, by primary owner and by dam type.
  1. Private71/223
    32%
  2. State44/199
    22%
  3. Local government73/422
    17%
  4. Public utility6/84
    7%
  5. Federal0/60
    0%

By dam type

  1. Rockfill27/87
    31%
  2. Concrete39/134
    29%
  3. Gravity12/50
    24%
  4. Masonry9/45
    20%
  5. Earth101/641
    16%
Groups with 20+ dams · n = 1,030Source: USACE NID
▸ Show the numbers
Owner or dam typeDamsPoor/unsat.Share
Local government4227317%
Private2237132%
State1994422%
Public utility8467%
Federal6000%
Not listed421229%
Earth (type)64110116%
Concrete (type)1343929%
Rockfill (type)872731%
Gravity (type)501224%
Masonry (type)45920%
Not listed (type)411537%
Stone (type)19316%
Other (type)900%

Dams rated poor are older — median completion 1896 vs 1920

Year completed vs height for high-hazard dams with both on record. 10 dams completed before 1800 are pinned to the left edge.
  • Poor or unsatisfactory
  • Other ratings
Loading…
n = 924 dams with year and heightSource: USACE NID
▸ Show the numbers
DecadePoor/unsat.Other
1800s33
1810s02
1820s43
1830s79
1840s811
1850s720
1860s1134
1870s2253
1880s2060
1890s551
1900s1468
1910s1352
1920s1455
1930s1645
1940s238
1950s947
1960s12112
1970s554
1980s115
1990s08
2000s02
2010s01

Look up a dam

Every high-hazard dam in the six states with its latest condition rating. Sorted by state, not by risk.

1,030 of 1,030 rows

High-hazard dams and condition assessments
Acme Pond DamCTSatisfactory
Adder ReservoirCTFair
American Can Company DamCTSatisfactory
American Felt DamCTSatisfactory
Ashland Pond DamCTSatisfactory
Avery Flood Control Site #1 DamCTSatisfactory
Avery Flood Control Site #2 DamCTSatisfactory
Barber Pond DamCTPoor
Batterson Park Pond DamCTSatisfactory
Batterson Park Pond DikeCTSatisfactory
Page 1 / 103
n = 1,030 damsSource: USACE NIDCSV

04 · Moving ground

The landslide map is a map of who went looking

The USGS inventory holds 3,513 mapped landslides in New England, and 87% of them are in Vermont. That is not because Vermont slides and Connecticut doesn’t: the Vermont and Maine geological surveys mapped landslides systematically and supplied 3,454 of the points; the other four states add only a few dozen.

Mapped inventory, not a hazard map. A blank area means nobody has mapped it, not that the ground is stable. 3,092 of the 3,513 records (88%) are low-confidence interpretations, and 2,660 carry a placeholder date of 1970 — so the inventory can’t show whether landslides are becoming more common.

Vermont’s surveys account for 87% of mapped landslides

Mapped landslide records per hexagon (about 20 km across), log color scale. Hover a cell.
Records per cell (log scale)
1191
MENHVTMARICT
n = 3,513 records in 195 cellsSource: USGS U.S. Landslide Inventory (snapshot)CSV
▸ Show the numbers
StateMapped records
Vermont3,061
Maine408
New Hampshire21
Massachusetts19
Connecticut4
Rhode Island0

Four states have almost nothing on record

Mapped landslide records by state.
  1. Vermont
    3,061
  2. Maine
    408
  3. New Hampshire
    21
  4. Massachusetts
    19
  5. Connecticut
    4
  6. Rhode Island
    0
n = 3,513Source: USGS

Two state surveys supplied nearly every point

Where each record in the USGS compilation came from.
  1. Vermont Geological Survey
    3,049
  2. Maine Geological Survey
    405
  3. NASA Global Landslide Catalog
    46
  4. USGS national compilation
    13
n = 3,513Source: USGS

88% of records are low-confidence

The USGS confidence class assigned to each mapped landslide, from 2 (low) to 8 (definite).
  1. Low (2)
    3,092
  2. Moderate (3)
    53
  3. High (5)
    3
  4. Definite (8)
    365
n = 3,513Source: USGS

Where these numbers come from

Method, sources & caveats

FEMA figures come straight from OpenFEMA’s public API, pulled in full (every page, no row cap) for the six New England states each time this page’s data is refreshed: 23,925 Public Assistance projects for disasters declared 20112024, and 197 declarations since 2005. Dollars are project amounts — federal plus state and local share — as last obligated; the federal share was $1.8B of the $2.4B total.

Dams are every “High” hazard-potential dam in the National Inventory of Dams (USACE), read from the full national extract. Landslides are the USGS inventory’s points for the six states as captured on Jun 24, 2026, binned into hexagons in the pipeline so no single record is plotted.

  • FEMA dollars are Public Assistance project amounts (eligible project cost, federal + non-federal share) for disasters declared 2011–2024, from OpenFEMA's funded-projects file. Withdrawn and ineligible projects are dropped; state management costs (category Z) are excluded from the damage totals.
  • COVID-19 declarations (incident type "Biological", $7.2B in New England) are excluded: they paid for emergency measures, not ground or infrastructure damage.
  • Project amounts are not inflation-adjusted and reflect the latest obligation, so recent disasters can still grow as projects are written. Disasters declared in the last months may have no project records yet (currently DR-4919-MA).
  • Declarations count each state's declaration once (a storm hitting three states is three declarations). County designations count distinct major-disaster (DR) declarations naming the county.
  • Dams: every dam classified High hazard potential in the National Inventory of Dams for CT, ME, MA, NH, RI and VT (1,030 dams). "High hazard" describes the consequence if a dam failed (probable loss of life), not the likelihood it will. Condition is the state or federal regulator's latest assessment as reported to NID; 76 high-hazard dams have no rating.
  • Per NID terms we publish no Emergency Action Plan or inundation information, round dam coordinates to 0.01° (about 1 km), omit owner names, and do not rank dams by danger.
  • Landslides: 3,513 points from the USGS U.S. Landslide Inventory compilation (pulled 2026-06-24). It maps where geologists have looked — the Vermont and Maine geological surveys mapped landslides systematically — not where slopes are most likely to fail. 2,660 records carry a placeholder date of 1970 and 3,092 are low-confidence.
  • Counties with no FEMA project records are blank on the map; statewide projects are counted in state totals but not assigned to a county. FEMA records the applicant's county, so a state agency's repairs can be filed under the capital's county rather than the damaged site.
Data as of
Sep 11, 2026
Generated
Sep 11, 2026
Records
28,665
Refresh
Live pull · weekly

Published by Earth Support Corp as a public resource. Regional statistics for planning and curiosity. They are not an engineering report, a bid recommendation or a statement about any particular site, firm or project. Spot an error? Tell us and we will correct it. Full method: methodology.

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