NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Middlebury, 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 Middlebury, Vermont since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 6
- 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 Middlebury
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Middlebury; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The record near Middlebury begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 3 miles away. 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 Middlebury. The highest rating among the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 18, 2022, came within 9 miles. Of the 6, one 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, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Middlebury. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1965, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Middlebury has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 75 Vermont cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Middlebury
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Middlebury: 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 Middlebury
By decade
- 2020s4
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 2021 | EF1 | 2 mi | 0.65 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 9, 1965 | F1 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 13, 2023 | EF0 | 16 mi | 11.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF0 | 10 mi | 0.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 1978 | F0 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 6 of 6, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Middlebury
The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Middlebury since 1965, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 23, 2012. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. July has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Middlebury
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cornwall, VT, 4 miles southwest of Middlebury at 345 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 27°F and 9°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 38.9 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (22.0 of 38.9 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 79°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. Snowfall averages 58.6 inches a year, most of it in December. That 38.9 inches is more than at 7 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (21%). Bristol, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (S Lincoln, VT): 49.5 inches a year, 10.6 more than here, and a July average high of 76°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 9 | 2.6 | 5 | 13.3 |
| Feb | 30 | 10 | 2.1 | 5 | 13.3 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 2.4 | 5 | 11.9 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 7 | 2.6 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 38 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Dec | 33 | 18 | 3.0 | 7 | 13.4 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 38.9 | 77 | 58.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cornwall, VT (345 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 Middlebury
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Middlebury: 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 4 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on July 24, 2003. 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 Middlebury.
June 14, 2008: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Middlebury — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous road and driveway washouts, including Route 125 in Ripton through East Middlebury.”
October 1, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Middlebury — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain that began on September 30 caused Flash Flooding during the early morning hours of October 1. In Bristol, water washed over Route 116 on the north and side of the village.”
July 14, 2023: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Middlebury — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall impacted the affected area during the evening hours of July 14. Radar estimates and ground observations showed between two and four inches of rain fell, leading to scattered areas of flash flooding, most notably in the Middlebury and Ripton areas.”
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
Addison County, which includes Middlebury, 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 Middlebury
- Vergennes, VT10 mi
- Bristol, VT10 mi
- Brandon, VT14 mi
- Ticonderoga, NY17 mi
- Waitsfield, VT21 mi
- Charlotte, VT21 mi
- Pittsford, VT22 mi
- Hinesburg, VT23 mi
- Fair Haven, VT24 mi
- Randolph, VT25 mi
- Castleton, VT25 mi
- Shelburne, VT27 mi
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