NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Essex Junction, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Essex Junction, Vermont since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 12
- 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 Essex Junction
The strongest storm to pass near Essex Junction was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The record near Essex Junction begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 11 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1920s, with 2 systems. Of the 11 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities on this site, 36% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Essex Junction. The highest rating among the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on August 8, 1983, came within 3 miles. Of the 12, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 4 each. The most recent tornado was on July 18, 2008. Essex Junction has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 45% of the 75 Vermont cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 92 times since 1968, with stones up to 3.3 inches. Essex Junction has more hail reports within 10 miles than any other of the 75 Vermont cities.
Compare Essex Junction's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Essex Junction
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 66 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Essex Junction: 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 Essex Junction
By decade
- 2000s2
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1983 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1970 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2008 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1973 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1973 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1972 | F1 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 1961 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1953 | F1 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2008 | EF0 | 18 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1987 | F0 | 5 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1986 | F0 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Essex Junction
The Storm Prediction Center has 92 hail reports within 10 miles of Essex Junction since 1968, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 51 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.3 inches, fell on July 16, 2009. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. July has the most reports, 42.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Essex Junction
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Essex Junction 1 N, VT, 1 mile west of Essex Junction at 340 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 10°F. June is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 42.3 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 42.3 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 158 nights a year. Snowfall averages 85.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 42.3 inches is more than at 17 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (52%). Williston, 4 miles south, has its own station (Burlington International Airport, VT): 37.6 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 10 | 2.5 | 6 | 20.4 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 2.1 | 5 | 19.2 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 2.7 | 7 | 16.5 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 3.5 | 8 | 4.4 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 4.5 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 3.0 | 7 | 5.8 |
| Dec | 35 | 19 | 3.0 | 7 | 19.3 |
| Year | 56 | 37 | 42.3 | 92 | 85.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Essex Junction 1 N, VT (340 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 Essex Junction
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 215 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Essex Junction: 175 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 12 flash floods and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $8.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 1, 2005. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 12. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 34 have had fewer than Essex Junction.
July 30, 2019: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Essex Junction — 2 killed, $25,000 damage.
April 11, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Essex Junction — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
May 26, 2010: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Essex Junction — 1 injured.
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
Chittenden County, which includes Essex Junction, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 26 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 10 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 Chittenden County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $40.1 million a year, the highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $28.8 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.