NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Castleton, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Castleton, Vermont since 1851, 1 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
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 13
- 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 Castleton
The strongest storm to pass near Castleton was Gloria in 1985, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 75 miles away. The record near Castleton begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 8 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 14 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities on this site, 36% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Castleton. The strongest of the 5 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F1 on August 4, 1992; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 5, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 13, 2023. Of the 75 Vermont cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Castleton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Castleton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 77% of the 75 Vermont cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Castleton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 75 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Castleton: 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 Castleton
By decade
- 2020s1
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 1992 | F1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2023 | EF0 | 9 mi | 11.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 1993 | F0 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 1972 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 1961 | F0 | 9 mi | 0.1 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 Castleton
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Castleton since 1966, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 27, 2014. The most recent report is from August 4, 2023. June has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Castleton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rutland, VT, 9 miles east of Castleton at 620 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 8°F. July is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 40.4 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (23.1 of 40.4 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal August there has highs of 78°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from June to July. Lows fall below freezing on about 164 nights a year. Snowfall averages 74.6 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 40.4 inches is more than at 9 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (27%). Fair Haven, 6 miles west, has its own station (Whitehall, NY): 42.8 inches a year, 2.4 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 8 | 2.7 | 6 | 18.3 |
| Feb | 32 | 9 | 2.2 | 5 | 16.0 |
| Mar | 41 | 18 | 2.7 | 6 | 13.8 |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.2 |
| May | 68 | 42 | 3.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 52 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 56 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 54 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 46 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 35 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 26 | 2.8 | 7 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 35 | 16 | 3.0 | 8 | 18.3 |
| Year | 56 | 33 | 40.4 | 86 | 74.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rutland, VT (620 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 Castleton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 134 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Castleton: 116 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 5 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 5 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $55.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 18, 2004. July 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 Castleton.
August 28, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Castleton — 2 killed, $51.5 million damage.
August 19, 2009: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Castleton — 2 killed, $1,000 damage.
NWS: “A few branches and power lines downed by thunderstorm winds across Belgo road in Castleton.”
July 23, 2016: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Castleton — 1 killed, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees down along Route 30 and other parts of town, some falling on structures. 1 fatality.”
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
Rutland County, which includes Castleton, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 7 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 Rutland County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.7 million a year, the 6th highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.4 million (72%), 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 Castleton
- Fair Haven, VT6 mi
- West Rutland, VT8 mi
- Poultney, VT9 mi
- Pittsford, VT10 mi
- Rutland, VT10 mi
- North Clarendon, VT12 mi
- Brandon, VT12 mi
- Whitehall, NY13 mi
- Wallingford, VT16 mi
- Comstock, NY17 mi
- Granville, NY20 mi
- Ticonderoga, NY21 mi
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