NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bristol, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bristol, Vermont since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 8
- 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 Bristol
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bristol; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 67 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Bristol begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm directly overhead. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bristol. The highest rating among the 8 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 18, 2022, came within 12 miles. Of the 8, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 13, 2023. Of the 75 Vermont cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bristol. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1976, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Bristol has more hail reports within 10 miles than 81% of the 75 Vermont cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bristol
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bristol: 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 Bristol
By decade
- 2020s4
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 2021 | EF1 | 8 mi | 0.65 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 22, 1973 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1965 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 13, 2023 | EF0 | 24 mi | 11.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF0 | 10 mi | 0.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1987 | F0 | 21 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 1978 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bristol
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Bristol since 1976, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 23, 2012. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. July has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bristol
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is S Lincoln, VT, 6 miles southeast of Bristol at 1,341 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 76°F and low of 54°F; January is the coolest, at 26°F and 6°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.4 of 49.5 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 74°F and 5.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 178 nights a year. Snowfall averages 112.5 inches a year, most of it in December. That 49.5 inches is more than at 31 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (94%). Middlebury, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Cornwall, VT): 38.9 inches a year, 10.6 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 76°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 6 | 3.0 | 7 | 25.3 |
| Feb | 29 | 7 | 2.5 | 7 | 22.8 |
| Mar | 37 | 15 | 3.2 | 7 | 22.0 |
| Apr | 50 | 29 | 4.1 | 8 | 6.6 |
| May | 63 | 40 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.2 |
| Jun | 71 | 49 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 76 | 54 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 74 | 51 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 67 | 44 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 54 | 35 | 5.1 | 9 | 1.5 |
| Nov | 43 | 25 | 3.7 | 8 | 8.6 |
| Dec | 32 | 14 | 3.7 | 8 | 25.5 |
| Year | 52 | 31 | 49.5 | 97 | 112.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at S Lincoln, VT (1,341 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 Bristol
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bristol: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $24.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on July 24, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Bristol.
August 28, 2011: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Bristol — $21.0 million damage.
June 14, 2008: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Bristol — $750,000 damage.
November 1, 2019: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Bristol — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads washed out in Starksboro, including near Lewis Creek at States Prison Road. Flash flooding transitioned to areal flooding in and outside of the initial flash flooding 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 Bristol's ZIP code 05443 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $104,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 62% 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, 6 have fewer than Bristol.
Addison County, which includes Bristol, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 8 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on August 20, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Addison County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.3 million a year, the 9th highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.8 million (69%), 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 Bristol
- Middlebury, VT10 mi
- Waitsfield, VT11 mi
- Vergennes, VT11 mi
- Hinesburg, VT14 mi
- Charlotte, VT15 mi
- Richmond, VT19 mi
- Northfield, VT19 mi
- Shelburne, VT20 mi
- Waterbury, VT21 mi
- Williston, VT22 mi
- Brandon, VT22 mi
- Randolph, VT23 mi
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