Vermont natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 642,541 · 14 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 11,007 storm events in Vermont since 1950, 10,348 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 50 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are winter storm records (4,758). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest event in Vermont is the July 1, 2018 heat in Chittenden County: 4 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has made 62 declarations for Vermont since 1963, 60 for natural hazards; 55 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in Vermont 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 $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded: 11,0071950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded: 6287 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $2.3Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC): 501950 to 2025
FEMA declarations: 6255 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in Vermont?

By NOAA's records, Vermont's most frequent hazards are winter storm records (4,758), severe thunderstorm wind events (2,342), high wind and dust records (1,086); the deadliest are winter storm records (28 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

Vermont: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
Hazard	Records	Last 10 years	Killed	Injured	Damage	Counties
Winter storms	4,758	1,474	28	10	$80M	14 of 14
Severe thunderstorm wind	2,342	602	8	38	$40M	14 of 14
High wind and dust storms	1,086	428	5	4	$44M	14 of 14
Floods	911	258	11	5	$2.1B	14 of 14
Hail	836	85	0	0	$1.4M	14 of 14
Extreme cold	648	230	1	0	$8.0M	14 of 14
Heat	167	95	5	0	$8.5M	14 of 14
Lightning	94	7	4	18	$8.8M	14 of 14
Heavy rain	69	2	0	0	$291K	14 of 14
Tornadoes	53	8	0	12	$20M	12 of 14
Drought	21	19	0	0	–	2 of 14
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds	16	1	0	0	$85K	13 of 14
Hurricanes and tropical storms	3	0	0	0	–	2 of 14
Wildfires	2	0	0	0	–	2 of 14
Landslides and avalanches	1	1	0	0	–	1 of 14

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in Vermont?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

Vermont: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2018-07-01	HeatChittenden County · forecast zone Western Chittenden One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A dangerous heat wave, one of which that likely hasn't impacted the North Country in decades occurred between June 30th and July 5th. High temperatures exceeded 90 degrees for at least 5 of the six days in many locations were above 85 degrees for 7 days. Heat indices, the combination of temperature and humidity, were ...		4	0	–
2011-08-28	Hurricane Irene · Flash FloodBenson, Rutland County One named storm filed by several offices: 20 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. Tropical Storm Irene moved across southeast New York and southwest New England during the morning hours of August 28th and then proceeded to track north along the Connecticut River Valley in Vermont during the afternoon and evening. Strong to damaging winds in excess of 60 mph was observed within several miles of Lake ...		3	0	$1.8B
2024-07-10	Flash FloodNorth Danville, Caledonia County One storm episode: 8 records in 3 places, 2024-07-10 to 2024-07-11; the totals are the episode's. The remnants of TS Beryl combined with deep tropical moisture and a stationary front draped across the region produced multiple rounds of heavy showers and storms. This led to numerous reports of flash flooding, some locally severe across a roughly 50 mile swath through Chittenden, Washington, Lamoille, Caledonia, ...		3	0	$9.4M
2008-02-12	Winter WeatherAddison County · forecast zone Western Addison Low pressure across the southern Mississippi River Valley on the morning of February 12th moved across the Ohio River Valley during the 12th and into New York and New England on the 13th. Snow overspread Vermont during the late evening hours of the 12th and continued into the morning hours of the 13th, where it mixed ...		3	0	$27K
2015-12-29	Winter WeatherRutland County · forecast zone Eastern Rutland Widespread 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across Rutland county as well as a prolonged period of sleet mixed with some freezing rain. Roads were slick from the first winter storm of the 2015-16 season. A tractor-trailer and SUV collided along Route 4 near Killington that resulted in 3 indirect fatalities and 3 injuries.		3	0	$25K
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
2015-01-18	Winter WeatherChittenden County · forecast zone Western Chittenden A heavy wet snow of 2 to 4 inches fell across eastern Chittenden county, yet the main culprit was very icy roads due to rain on very cold road surfaces that led to numerous vehicle accidents. This included a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 289 in Essex that left two fatalities and one injured.		2	0	$31K
2006-12-30	Winter WeatherCaledonia County · forecast zone Caledonia A significant mid-level disturbance, with an associated surface low, moved southeast across southern Vermont during the late morning and early afternoon on the 30th. Snow began across Vermont around dawn and ended by mid to late afternoon with snowfall accumulations of 2 to 6 inches with isolated greater amounts in ...		2	0	$15K
2012-12-21	Strong WindAddison County · forecast zone Western Addison One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong, complex, dual area of low pressure from the Great Lakes to the New Jersey coast on the morning of December 21st eventually lifted north across New York into Quebec by December 22nd. On the front end of the storm, a wintry mix of snow and some sleet accumulated 1 to 3 inches across Vermont with up to 6 inches ...	43 kt wind	2	0	$77K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in Vermont

Vermont: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Killed	Damage
2011-08-28	FloodRichford, Franklin County	0	$657M
2011-08-28	FloodJay, Orleans County	0	$656M
2011-08-28	Flash FloodGoulds Mill, Windsor County	0	$138M
2023-07-11	Flash FloodMontpelier Jct, Washington County	1	$97M
2011-08-28	Flash FloodWaterbury Airport, Washington County	0	$82M
2011-08-28	Flash FloodBenson, Rutland County	2	$68M
2011-08-28	Flash FloodRandolph, Orange County	0	$45M
2011-08-28	FloodPompanoosuc, Windsor County	0	$30M

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 8, 1983 (tornado, Chittenden County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in Vermont have the most records?

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in Vermont

Billion-dollar disasters in Vermont

NOAA counted 19 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected Vermont, led by winter storm (9). The most recent: Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm (2024); Northeastern Flooding and North Central Severe Weather (2023); Northeastern Winter Storm/Cold Wave (2023).

Vermont: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
Type	Events	Total cost (NOAA's range)
Winter Storm	9	$1.0B-$2.0B
Severe Storm	5	$100M-$250M
Tropical Cyclone	3	$1.0B-$2.0B
Drought	1	$5M-$100M
Flooding	1	$500M-$1.0B

Every one of the 19, newest first

Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm2024
Northeastern Flooding and North Central Severe Weather2023
Northeastern Winter Storm/Cold Wave2023
Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2022
Central and Northeast Severe Weather2018
West/Northeast/Southeast Drought2016
Hurricane Irene2011
East/South Severe Weather and Flooding2007
Hurricane Floyd1999
Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
Northern Plains and Great Lakes Derecho, Tornadoes1998
Northeast Ice Storm1998
Mississippi and Ohio Valley Severe Weather and Flooding1997
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1994
East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather1993
Winter Storm, Cold Wave1989
Hurricane Gloria1985
Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm, Cold Wave1982

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for Vermont, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in Vermont

FEMA has made 62 declarations for Vermont since 1963: 55 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are severe storm (29), flood (22), hurricane (3).

1960s 3
1970s 3
1980s 2
1990s 10
2000s 12
2010s 17
2020s 15

The 15 most recent declarations in Vermont
Declared	Number	Type	Title	Areas named
2024-09-26	DR-4826	Flood	Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides	3
2024-09-11	DR-4816	Flood	Severe Storms and Flooding	1
2024-08-20	DR-4810	Severe Storm	Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides	8
2024-08-08	EM-3609	Tropical Storm	Tropical Depression Debby	14
2024-04-19	DR-4770	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm	5
2024-03-02	DR-4762	Severe Storm	Severe Storm and Flooding	7
2023-10-06	DR-4744	Flood	Severe Storms and Flooding	1
2023-07-14	DR-4720	Flood	Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides	14
2023-07-10	EM-3595	Flood	Flooding	14
2023-03-20	DR-4695	Severe Storm	Severe Storm and Flooding	8
2021-09-29	DR-4621	Flood	Severe Storm and Flooding	2
2021-08-22	EM-3567	Hurricane	Tropical Storm Henri	14
2020-04-08	DR-4532	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	14
2020-03-13	EM-3437	Biological	Covid-19	14
2020-01-17	DR-4474	Severe Storm	Severe Storm and Flooding	8

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in Vermont

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $118 million on 3,688 claims in 14 Vermont counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across Vermont's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates Vermont's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

Relatively Low 6
Very Low 8

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.