Washington County, Vermont severe weather history spans 332 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,594 nationally and #5 in Vermont.
332
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$215.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Vermont severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Vermont severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 134 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 305 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washington County, Vermont record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $195.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 177 | 0 | $1.9M | 85 | 1964–2025 |
| Hail | 64 | 0 | $97K | 2.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 54 | 1 | $195.4M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 21 | 0 | $17.5M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Lightning | 8 | 1 | $257K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2005 |
| Strong Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Vermont severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 1996 | Lightning | BARRE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2023 | Flash Flood | MONTPELIER JCT | 1 | 0 | $100.0M |
| Jul 4, 2013 | Lightning | BARRE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Nov 25, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARSHFIELD | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Jun 6, 1999 | Lightning | MONTPELIER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three to seven inches of rain fell during the afternoon/evening of July 10 and into the morning hours on July 11. Severe flash flooding occurred, most notably in the Barre area where the Stevens and Jail Branches of the Winooski River were overwhelmed. A number of homes and businesses were damaged, especially along Route 302. A few landslides also occurred, causing damage.
Severe todevastating flash flooding occurred across much of Washington county, especially in the foothills of the Green Mountains. Communities such as Roxbury, Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown, Montpelier, Barre, Berlin, Northfield suffered major damage to roads and bridges (state and local), including Routes 12, 12A, 14, 17, 62, and 100. Several communities were isolated due to loss infrastructure. Several homes and businesses as well as farms suffered tremendous losses to crops and livestock.
Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene caused extensive flooding across Washington County VT. The Winooski River was the primary river in flood in Washington County, cresting at 19.05 feet in Montpelier at 21:15 EST August 28, the second highest crest on record. Flooding was extensive in downtown Montpelier. Downstream in Waterbury, the Winooski flooded the Waterbury State Office Complex and portions of downtown Waterbury. Many offices of state agencies were inundated, and active operations at the Vermont state mental hospital and Vermont Emergency Management Emergency Operations Center were forced to relocate during the flood.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
60,017
Population (ACS)
$315K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Aug 8, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL DEPRESSION DEBBY | EM |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jul 10, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | EM |
| Mar 20, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM HENRI | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Vermont?
332 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $215.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 177 recorded events — 53.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington County, Vermont severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Rutland County 419
- Windham County 342
- Orleans County 258
- Windsor County 328
- Orange County 215
- Lamoille County 176
Cite this page
“Washington County, Vermont.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/vermont/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.