NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chester, 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
27 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Chester, Vermont since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 18 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 25
- Tornadoes
- 18
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Chester
The strongest storm to pass near Chester was Carol in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 39 miles. The record near Chester begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 4 systems. Of the 27 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Chester has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 75 Vermont cities on this site. The strongest of the 18 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 20, 1968; its path came within 15 miles. Of the 18, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on July 18, 2022. Chester has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 86% of the 75 Vermont cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1958, with stones up to 1.25 inches (half dollar size). Of the 75 Vermont cities, 73% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Chester.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chester
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 39 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 62 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Chester: 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 Chester
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s2
- 1980s2
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 1968 | F3 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 5, 2002 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1969 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 11, 1966 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1962 | F2 | 6 mi | 7.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1962 | F2 | 3 mi | 7.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 1955 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2022 | EF1 | 12 mi | 4.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2019 | EF1 | 7 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 2018 | EF1 | 12 mi | 37.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 18, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chester
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Chester since 1958, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.25 inches (half dollar size), fell on May 21, 2024, the most recent report. July has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chester
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Springfield Hartness Airport, VT, 7 miles northeast of Chester at 578 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 11°F. October is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 40.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 40.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 27 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 167 nights a year. That 40.5 inches is more than at 10 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (30%). Springfield, 7 miles east, has its own station (N Springfield Lake, VT): 43.9 inches a year, 3.4 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 11 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 33 | 13 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 32 | 3.4 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 76 | 52 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Aug | 80 | 55 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 18 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 56 | 35 | 40.5 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Springfield Hartness Airport, VT (578 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 Chester
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chester: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $133.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on July 21, 2003. July has had the most flash floods, 16 of 23. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 68 have had fewer than Chester.
July 10, 2023: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Chester — 1 killed, $25.0 million damage.
NWS: “Training showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall affected this area between the early morning and early to mid afternoon on July 10. Observations and radar estimates show 3 to 7 inches of rainfall occurred, with localized totals to 8 inches.”
July 29, 2021: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Chester — 1 injured, $600,000 damage.
July 21, 2003: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Chester — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
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 Chester's ZIP code 05143 have filed 60 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 28 claims (47% of all) and $1.1 million, then Vermont/New York Flooding in 2023 with 13. 70% 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, 32 have fewer than Chester.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 28 | $1.1 million |
| Vermont/New York Flooding2023 | 13 | $361,000 |
Windsor County, which includes Chester, 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 Chester
- Springfield, VT7 mi
- Bellows Falls, VT10 mi
- Ludlow, VT11 mi
- Charlestown, NH12 mi
- Claremont, NH16 mi
- Walpole, NH16 mi
- Langdon, NH17 mi
- Putney, VT17 mi
- Windsor, VT18 mi
- Wallingford, VT22 mi
- Westmoreland, NH22 mi
- Manchester Center, VT23 mi
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