NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bethel, VT
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bethel, Vermont since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 5 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 5
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bethel
The strongest storm to pass near Bethel was Carol in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 58 miles. The record near Bethel begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 26 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Bethel has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 75 Vermont cities on this site. The highest rating among the 5 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 16, 2024, came within 25 miles. Of the 5, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bethel. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1986, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 75 Vermont cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bethel.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bethel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 58 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 67 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bethel: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bethel
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2000s2
- 1990s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 25 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 2009 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1999 | F1 | 23 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2023 | EF0 | 24 mi | 11.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2009 | EF0 | 18 mi | 2.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 5 of 5, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bethel
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Bethel since 1986, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently July 18, 2013. The most recent report is from September 11, 2013. May and July have the most reports, 7 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bethel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rochester, VT, 9 miles west of Bethel at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 9°F. June is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.9 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (27.4 of 48.9 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 78°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 177 nights a year. Snowfall averages 75.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.9 inches is more than at 29 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (88%). South Royalton, 6 miles east, has its own station (Woodstock, VT): 42.6 inches a year, 6.3 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 9 | 3.5 | 6 | 18.4 |
| Feb | 32 | 9 | 2.8 | 6 | 17.4 |
| Mar | 41 | 17 | 3.4 | 7 | 15.5 |
| Apr | 54 | 30 | 3.8 | 8 | 3.6 |
| May | 67 | 41 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 5.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 55 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 54 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 36 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 46 | 27 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Dec | 35 | 16 | 4.1 | 8 | 17.3 |
| Year | 56 | 32 | 48.9 | 92 | 75.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rochester, VT (830 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bethel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bethel: 60 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 5 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $40.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 8, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 8. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 18 have had fewer than Bethel.
June 22, 1997: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Bethel — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
August 28, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Bethel — $34.0 million damage.
July 1, 2017: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Bethel — $3.2 million damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding damaged roads across northern Windsor County. Flowing water covered Route 132 in Sharon, and multiple residences were cut off by high water and damaged roads throughout the area.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Bethel's ZIP code 05032 have filed 23 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1992, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 13 claims (57% of all) and $787,000. 78% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 43 Vermont cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 18 have fewer than Bethel.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 13 | $787,000 |
Windsor County, which includes Bethel, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 9 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Flooding, on March 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Windsor County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.1 million a year, the 2nd highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.4 million (77%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Bethel
- South Royalton, VT6 mi
- Randolph, VT10 mi
- Woodstock, VT14 mi
- White River Junction, VT17 mi
- Norwich, VT18 mi
- Pittsford, VT19 mi
- West Lebanon, NH20 mi
- Hanover, NH21 mi
- Rutland, VT21 mi
- Hartland, VT21 mi
- Williamstown, VT21 mi
- Brandon, VT23 mi
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