Vermont lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 14 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 94 lightning records in Vermont from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.9 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the June 12, 1996 lightning in Washington County: 1 death and 1 injury. Vermont ranks 41st of 52 states and territories by count and 20th of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Vermont, 1996 to 2026

Lightning records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

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

Records: 941996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 3.9average
Deaths: 418 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $8.8Mas filed
Busiest year: 200716 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are lightning records common in Vermont?

Vermont averages about 3.9 lightning records a year since 2000, 41st of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2007 (16). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Vermont records 102 lightning records since 1996, 20th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Vermont have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, Chittenden County leads Vermont: 19 days with a lightning record since 1996, 35.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Chittenden County has the most lightning records (21 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the lightning season in Vermont?

60% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (30 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 1 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 13 · Jun 30 · Jul 26 · Aug 14 · Sep 8 · Oct 1 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest lightning records in Vermont?

Vermont: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
1996-06-12	LightningBarre, Washington County	1	1	–
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	–
2012-06-23	LightningPost Mills Airport, Orange County A 16 year old teenage farm worker was injured after being struck by lightning at the Crossroad Farm along the Fairlee/Post Mills line on June 23rd. He eventually died from his injuries on June 27th.	1	0	–
2002-07-04	LightningWoodstock, Windsor County As a thunderstorm was ending near Quechee, Vermont, a male in his late 30's was struck by the final lightning bolt of a thunderstorm. The bolt struck the individual's tent. Initially, after the strike, the individual reportedly spoke, then lapsed into unconsciousness followed by cardiac arrest and death.	1	0	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest lightning records in Vermont

Vermont: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Injured	Damage
2016-06-28	LightningKeeler Bay, Grand Isle County	0	$2.1M
2011-07-06	LightningEssex Jct, Chittenden County	0	$1.3M
2007-07-27	LightningBennington County	1	$1.1M
2007-07-11	LightningWestmore, Orleans County	0	$356K
2007-08-03	LightningBrattleboro, Windham County	0	$356K
2005-08-02	LightningCharlotte, Chittenden County	0	$302K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are lightning records becoming more frequent in Vermont?

Vermont's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Lightning: Vermont and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Vermont	United States	Vermont's share
1996-99	13	3,521	0.37%
2000s	54	8,052	0.67%
2010s	24	5,103	0.47%
2020-26	3	1,544	0.19%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Vermont

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2016-06-28	LightningKeeler Bay, Grand Isle County	0	0	$2.1M
2014-07-02	LightningGuilford, Windham County	0	7	–
2013-07-04	LightningBarre, Washington County	0	1	–
2013-05-22	LightningEast Hubbardton, Rutland County	0	1	–
2012-06-23	LightningPost Mills Airport, Orange County	1	0	–
2011-07-06	LightningEssex Jct, Chittenden County	0	0	$1.3M
2010-06-05	LightningEast Burke, Caledonia County	0	2	–
2010-05-26	LightningColchester, Chittenden County	0	1	–
2007-08-03	LightningBrattleboro, Windham County	0	0	$356K
2007-07-27	LightningBennington County	0	1	$1.1M
2007-07-11	LightningWestmore, Orleans County	0	0	$356K
2005-08-02	LightningCharlotte, Chittenden County	0	0	$302K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.