Orleans County, Vermont
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 50019 · population 27,365 · 695 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 662 records for Orleans County, Vermont from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 555 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (317 records). 404 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 July 18, 1987 thunderstorm wind: 2 deaths and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1973, 31 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on September 26, 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
- 662on 555 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 57 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $680Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 33latest 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 Orleans County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 317 since 1996. 45% 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 | 317 | 314 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 1 | $5.3M | 6 of 13 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 136 | 88 | 1958-2025 | 3 | 5 | $2.5M | 9 of 13 |
| Floods | 59 | 51 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $667M | 7 of 13 |
| Hail | 51 | 28 | 1964-2025 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 10 of 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 43 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 10 of 13 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 29 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $161K | 9 of 13 |
| Lightning | 9 | 9 | 1996-2015 | 0 | 0 | $689K | 2 of 13 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2002-2008 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 4 of 13 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 5 | 1962-2012 | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | 4 of 13 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 13 of 13 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 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 Orleans County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Orleans County from 1962 to 2012, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 4th 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Orleans County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Vermont.
Every tornado record filed for Orleans County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-29 | South Albany, Orleans County | EF0 0.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2010-06-05 | Craftsbury Common, Orleans County | EF1 2.09 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 1993-09-03 | Orleans County | F1 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1989-08-06 | Orleans County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-05-20 | Orleans County | F1 9.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-20 | Orleans County | F1 1.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Orleans 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 WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-12-10 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-07 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindOrleans County | 2 | 5 | – | |
| 2008-01-11 | Winter WeatherOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans An automobile accident involving two cars occured on Shattuck Hill Road in Derby during the late morning. It resulted in two fatalities and one injury. | 2 | 1 | $34K | |
| 1999-07-05 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Orleans County A mesoscale convective complex consisting of a cluster of thunderstorms moved across northern New York and northern Vermont during the early morning hours of Monday, July 5th. Across Orleans county Vermont, there were numerous reports of trees and power lines blown down with thousands without power.One death occurred ... | 1 | 0 | $106K | |
| 1962-05-20 | TornadoOrleans County | F1 9.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-08-28 | FloodJay, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $656M | |
| 1997-07-15 | Flash FloodWest Portion, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1993-09-03 | TornadoOrleans County | F1 4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1994-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2024-07-30 | Flash FloodMorgan, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 1998-08-11 | Flash FloodWest Portion, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $905K | |
| 2019-11-01 | FloodNorth Troy, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $866K | |
| 2012-05-29 | Flash FloodLowell, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $643K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 20, 1962 (tornado, Orleans County); May 20, 1962 (tornado, Orleans 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 Orleans 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 | – | – | – | – | 52 | 144 | 63 | 58 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 34 | 36 | 42 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 20 | 23 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 7 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 16 | 13 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | 3 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% 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 101 · Feb 77 · Mar 62 · Apr 32 · May 63 · Jun 31 · Jul 78 · Aug 63 · Sep 19 · Oct 20 · Nov 37 · Dec 79 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Orleans County
FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Orleans County: 27 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | DR-4826 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-08-20 | DR-4810 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-08-08 | EM-3609 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Depression Debby |
| 2024-04-19 | DR-4770 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-03-02 | DR-4762 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2018-07-30 | DR-4380 | 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 |
| 2013-08-02 | DR-4140 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-06-22 | DR-4066 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornado, 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 |
| 2007-08-03 | DR-1715 | 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 |
| 2001-04-10 | EM-3167 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-11-10 | DR-1307 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Floyd |
| 1998-06-30 | DR-1228 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-07-25 | DR-1184 | Flood | Excessive Rainfall, High Winds, and Flooding |
| 1996-02-13 | DR-1101 | Flood | Ice Jams and Flooding |
| 1995-08-16 | DR-1063 | Severe Storm | Excessive Rainfall, 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 Orleans County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 59 flood or flash flood records for Orleans County from 1996 to 2024, on 51 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Orleans County ranks 1293rd 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 $2.6 million on 102 claims filed in Orleans County; the most in one year was 23 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1994: 7 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 9 · 1998: 9 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 23 · 2012: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2019: 10 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 5; 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 Orleans County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orleans County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $137K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $8K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $467K | once in about 34 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $9.4M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $83K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $893K | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $216K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $215K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Orleans 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 Orleans CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Orleans County's FEMA declarations (CSV)33 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis