HIGHGATE FALLS
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 11 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Franklin County
- Operator
- VILLAGE OF SWANTON - (VT)
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1923
- EIA plant ID
- 6618
- Coordinates
- 44.9337, -73.0510
HIGHGATE FALLS, an 11 MW Hydro power plant in Franklin County, Vermont. Operated by VILLAGE OF SWANTON - (VT), commissioned 1923.
Weather peril exposure
HIGHGATE FALLS is an 11 MW hydro power plant in Franklin County, VT, operated by VILLAGE OF SWANTON - (VT), commissioned in 1923. Franklin County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.1 of 5 at the 2nd national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 91st percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Franklin County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | 22.7 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 76th | 4.0 of 5 | 17.3 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | 0.47 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66th | 3.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 1.7 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.57 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 1.8 |
| Hail | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.85 |
Perils not assessed in Franklin County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Franklin County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.