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Washington County hurricane guide

Emergency management in Vermont is organized by town and city. Each town and city appoints an Emergency Management Director, and Vermont Emergency Management (VEM), part of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, supports them. Washington County has no county emergency management office. Regional planning commissions help towns prepare, and VEM lists regional emergency management committees that coordinate planning in the region. The main danger from a hurricane or tropical storm here is heavy rain and flooding from a storm's remnants, including flash flooding on streams and rivers, along with wind and power outages. Never walk or drive through floodwater.

Checked on October 9, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Vermont Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Washington County

  • Every Vermont town and city has an Emergency Management Director (EMD). VEM keeps a public contact list for each town. If your town has no public contact method, VEM says to reach out to your town clerk and ask for the Emergency Management Director.
  • VEM's flood guidance says to ask local officials whether your property is in a flood-prone or high-risk area, and that flood plain maps are available at most town offices or city halls.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 911 Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office 800-347-0488 Vermont Emergency Management headquarters, which supports towns. Not for emergencies. VEM says to contact your town about a developing non-life-threatening situation. Also 802-244-8721.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency 802-223-3001 For police matters that are not emergencies. Number as listed by the Vermont Sheriffs' Association.
Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission office 802-229-0389 Office line. Not for emergencies.
Vermont 211 211 Free help finding services, including shelter information. Not an emergency line.

Official alerts and information

  • VT-ALERT: Free state emergency alerts for evacuation information, severe weather advisories, and road interruptions. Sign up before a storm. Website.

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Which shelters are available depends on the event. Vermont Emergency Management says its shelter page does not list every shelter or cooling center, only those reported to VEM, and that you can call your town to ask about local facilities or dial 2-1-1 to find one. Watch VT-ALERT and your town for announcements, and do not go to a site until it is announced as open. If officials tell you to evacuate, leave right away.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Cities and towns

Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.

Sources

Checked on October 9, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.