Rutland County, Vermont severe weather history spans 419 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 64.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,181 nationally and #2 in Vermont.
419
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$67.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Rutland County, Vermont severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Rutland County, Vermont severe weather history averages 6.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 144 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 50 events fall before 1990 and 369 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Rutland County, Vermont record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $56.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Rutland County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 270 | 1 | $5.2M | 82 | 1955–2024 |
| Hail | 90 | 0 | $126K | 2.5 | 1966–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 2 | $56.8M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $5.2M | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $130K | 0 | 2000–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2002–2009 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $53K | F0 | 1961–2023 |
| Strong Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Rutland County, Vermont severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 11.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Rutland County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2011 | Flash Flood | BENSON | 2 | 0 | $50.0M |
| Jul 23, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | HUBBARDTON | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| May 11, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rutland | 0 | 3 | $5K |
| Aug 27, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | WALLINGFORD | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 22, 2013 | Lightning | EAST HUBBARDTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | BOMOSEEN | 0 | 1 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Devastating flash flooding occurred across much of Rutland county, mainly along and east of Route 7 and especially in the foothills of the western slopes of the Green Mountains, such as Rutland, Killington, Mendon, Wallingford, Brandon, Chittenden and Pittsford. Dozens of roads (state and local), including Routes 4, 7, 103 and 155, as well as several bridges were washed out or suffered severe damage. Several communities between Rutland and Windsor counties were isolated due to loss infrastructure. Dozens of homes and businesses experienced severe flooding and two fatalities occurred in Rutland-Mendon vicinity.
Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Irene caused devastating flooding along Otter Creek and its tributaries. Homes, businesses, and roads were flooded from Wallingford downstream through Rutland, Proctor, Pittsford, and Brandon. Otter Creek at Center Rutland crested at a new record of 17.21 feet, besting the previous record by almost four feet.
Combination of rapid snow melt and 1-2 in/hour rainfall rates Rutland county caused the Otter Creek to rise out of its banks and caused scattered road washouts across the county. Additionally rising waters trapped a motorist in Killington and swift water rescue was required to save the individual. VEM Sit Rep reported major impacts in Castleton, Chittenden, Poultney, Pittsfield, Poultney Village, Proctor, Rutland, and Wells.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
60,425
Population (ACS)
$229K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL DEPRESSION DEBBY | EM |
| Mar 2, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jul 10, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | EM |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM HENRI | EM |
| Apr 8, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Rutland County, Vermont?
419 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $67.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Rutland County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 270 recorded events — 64.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Rutland County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Rutland County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Rutland County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Rutland County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rutland County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 50 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Rutland 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
- Orleans County 258
- Washington County 332
- Orange County 215
- Windham County 342
- Windsor County 328
- Lamoille County 176
Cite this page
“Rutland County, Vermont.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/vermont/rutland-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.