NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hardwick, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hardwick, 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
- 14
- 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 Hardwick
The strongest storm to pass near Hardwick was Carol in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Hardwick begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 23 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 75 Vermont cities on this site, 36% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Hardwick. The highest rating among the 5 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 5, 2010, came within 7 miles. Of the 5, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 29, 2012. Of the 75 Vermont cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hardwick. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 75 Vermont cities, 88% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hardwick.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hardwick
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 58 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 32 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 Hardwick: 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 Hardwick
By decade
- 2010s3
- 1980s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2010 | EF1 | 7 mi | 2.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1989 | F1 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1962 | F1 | 17 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 29, 2012 | EF0 | 14 mi | 0.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 2010 | EF0 | 14 mi | 0.14 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 Hardwick
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Hardwick since 1974, made on 15 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 4, 1974. The most recent report is from June 27, 2017. July has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hardwick
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Morrisville Stowe State Airport, VT, 13 miles west of Hardwick at 732 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 26°F and 5°F. July is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 35.6 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (21.1 of 35.6 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 77°F and 3.5 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 172 nights a year. That 35.6 inches is more than at 1 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (3%). Danville, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Saint Johnsbury, VT): 40.5 inches a year, 4.9 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 5 | 2.2 | 5 |
| Feb | 30 | 6 | 1.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 39 | 17 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 53 | 29 | 2.8 | 7 |
| May | 66 | 40 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 74 | 50 | 3.8 | 9 |
| Jul | 79 | 55 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Aug | 77 | 53 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Sep | 70 | 45 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Nov | 43 | 25 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 32 | 14 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Year | 54 | 31 | 35.6 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Morrisville Stowe State Airport, VT (732 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 Hardwick
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hardwick: 51 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 7 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $21.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 4, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 9 of 15. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 51 have had fewer than Hardwick.
August 28, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Hardwick — $17.5 million damage.
April 26, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Hardwick — $1.5 million damage.
July 10, 2024: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Hardwick — $500,000 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 Hardwick's ZIP code 05843 have filed 79 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Vermont/New York Flooding in 2023: 13 claims (16% of all) and $944,000. The year with the most claims was 1981, with 15. 29% 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, 36 have fewer than Hardwick.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont/New York Flooding2023 | 13 | $944,000 |
Caledonia County, which includes Hardwick, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 26 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 floods, 12 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on September 26, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Caledonia County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.7 million a year, the 11th highest of 14 Vermont counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.8 million (73%), 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 Hardwick
- Wolcott, VT7 mi
- Morrisville, VT12 mi
- Danville, VT13 mi
- Hyde Park, VT14 mi
- Plainfield, VT15 mi
- Lyndonville, VT17 mi
- Stowe, VT17 mi
- St Johnsbury, VT18 mi
- Johnson, VT19 mi
- Waterbury Center, VT20 mi
- Montpelier, VT20 mi
- Barre, VT22 mi
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