Franklin County, Vermont
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 50011 · population 49,919 · 631 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 910 records for Franklin County, Vermont from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 560 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (450 records). 650 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the January 19, 1996 flood, filed for the forecast zone Western Franklin, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $771,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1973, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Depression Debby” on August 8, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 910on 560 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 412 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $703Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Franklin County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 450 since 1996. 47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The rank column places the county among Vermont's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 450 | 288 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 1 | $9.1M | 5 of 13 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 140 | 87 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 2 | $3.3M | 7 of 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | 106 | 66 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.8M | 5 of 13 |
| Hail | 71 | 46 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 3 of 13 |
| Floods | 60 | 48 | 1996-2023 | 2 | 0 | $679M | 6 of 13 |
| Extreme cold | 55 | 31 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 5 of 13 |
| Heat | 11 | 7 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 6 of 13 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 8 | 1957-1973 | 0 | 7 | $5.2M | 1 of 13 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1996-2015 | 1 | 1 | $159K | 8 of 13 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2002-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 13 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 1 of 13 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Franklin County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Franklin County from 1957 to 1973, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 13 Vermont counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 8 tornadoes whose track touched Franklin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Vermont.
Every tornado record filed for Franklin County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-06-11 | Franklin County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-07-19 | Franklin County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-08-03 | Franklin County | F2 4.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 7 | $25K step |
| 1963-07-04 | Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1962-05-20 | Franklin County | F2 1.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-07-18 | Franklin County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-06-13 | Franklin County | F2 7.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-06-18 | Franklin County | F2 3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Franklin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 17, 2026 strong wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-17 | Strong WindFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-17 | Strong WindFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Winter WeatherFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Winter WeatherFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormFranklin County · forecast zone Eastern Franklin | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | FloodFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin A strong storm system moved into the Great Lakes on Thursday (1/18/96) and then moved into Canada thereafter on Friday (1/19/96) and Saturday (1/20/96). The circulation associated with this storm resulted in above normal temperatures, strong winds and flooding due to snow melt and rainfall.Two deaths were attributed ... | 2 | 0 | $771K | |
| 2004-07-12 | LightningBakersfield, Franklin County A thunderstorm resulted in a fatal lightning strike on a golf course. At approximately 430pm EDT (330pm EST) on Monday, July 12, a lightning bolt struck a tree and traveled down hitting the victim's golf club and killing her. One other person was injured by the lightning strike. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-12-25 | Winter WeatherFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin Light accumulation of ice, less than a tenth of flat ice, due to freezing rain/drizzle. Numerous vehicle accidents (solo or multi-vehicle) due to icy roads. In Sheldon, a vehicle slid off a road and flipped over into a brook with 2 passengers (and driver) onboard. The passenger in the back seat was a 19 month year old ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1970-08-03 | TornadoFranklin County | F2 4.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 7 | $25K step |
| 1999-11-15 | Winter StormFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin An area of stationary low pressure over New Brunswick resulted in snow across much of Vermont during Monday, November 15, 1999 and Tuesday, November 16, 1999. The snow accumulations were enhanced by the mountainous terrain of northern Vermont...and thus was considered an elevation snow event. Across Franklin county, ... | 0 | 1 | $27K | |
| 1996-01-27 | High WindFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin A storm system developed in the lower Mississippi Valley on Friday (1/26/96) and moved to the central Great Lakes region Saturday morning (1/27/96) and then into Canada. Snow spread into Vermont around 3 AM 1/27/96...but changed to rain around dawn most areas...except not until noon in Orleans, Caledonia and Essex ... | 0 | 1 | $94K | |
| 1993-08-31 | Thunderstorm WindEnosburg Falls, Franklin County | 0 | 1 | $1.0M | |
| 1987-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin County | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-08-28 | FloodRichford, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $657M | |
| 1997-07-15 | Flash FloodCountywide, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 1998-01-06 | Ice StormFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2011-05-01 | Lakeshore FloodFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2013-12-20 | Ice StormFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1993-08-31 | Thunderstorm WindEnosburg Falls, Franklin County | 0 | 1 | $1.0M | |
| 2019-11-01 | Flash FloodEast Sheldon, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $866K | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodFranklin County · forecast zone Western Franklin | 2 | 0 | $771K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 18, 1957 (tornado, Franklin County); June 11, 1973 (tornado, Franklin County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Franklin County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 40 | 197 | 116 | 97 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 38 | 37 | 24 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 47 | 29 | 25 |
| Hail | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 26 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 26 | 18 | 3 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 28 | 7 | 17 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 159 · Feb 129 · Mar 97 · Apr 47 · May 61 · Jun 60 · Jul 75 · Aug 55 · Sep 25 · Oct 31 · Nov 42 · Dec 129 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Franklin County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Franklin County: 25 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and flood (10).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-08 | EM-3609 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2024-04-19 | DR-4770 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2023-07-14 | DR-4720 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-07-10 | EM-3595 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2023-03-20 | DR-4695 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2021-08-22 | EM-3567 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Henri |
| 2020-04-08 | DR-4532 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3437 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020-01-17 | DR-4474 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2018-01-02 | DR-4356 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2015-02-03 | DR-4207 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2014-06-11 | DR-4178 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-01-29 | DR-4163 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2011-11-08 | DR-4043 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-09-01 | DR-4022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2011-08-29 | EM-3338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-06-15 | DR-1995 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-12-22 | DR-1951 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2008-07-15 | DR-1778 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-09-23 | DR-1559 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-07-12 | DR-1428 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-06-30 | DR-1228 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-01-15 | DR-1201 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storms, Rain, High Winds and Flooding |
| 1997-07-25 | DR-1184 | Flood | Excessive Rainfall, High Winds, and Flooding |
| 1996-02-13 | DR-1101 | Flood | Ice Jams and Flooding |
| 1993-05-12 | DR-990 | Flood | Heavy Rain, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1990-07-25 | DR-875 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-06-18 | DR-712 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-08-05 | DR-518 | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding |
| 1973-07-06 | DR-397 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, & Landslides |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Franklin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 60 flood or flash flood records for Franklin County from 1996 to 2023, on 48 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Franklin County ranks 1016th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.5 million on 177 claims filed in Franklin County; the most in one year was 54 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1979: 6 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 8 · 1982: 14 · 1983: 6 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 5 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 15 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 5 · 1997: 12 · 1998: 7 · 2000: 4 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 54 · 2012: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Franklin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $256K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $588K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $8K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $631K | once in about 337 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $124K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $261K | once in about 48 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $9.7M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $651K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Franklin County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in VermontEvery Vermont tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in VermontThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Vermont recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Franklin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Franklin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis