NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Williston, 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 Williston, Vermont since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 13
- 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 Williston
The strongest storm to pass near Williston was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Williston begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 10 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 Williston. The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on August 8, 1983, came within 6 miles. Of the 13, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on July 18, 2022. Williston has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 75 Vermont cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1968, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Williston has more hail reports within 10 miles than 97% of the 75 Vermont cities.
Compare Williston's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Williston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 50 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 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 3 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 | 70 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 4 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 Williston: 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 Williston
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2000s2
- 1980s3
- 1970s3
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1983 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1970 | F2 | 25 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F2 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2008 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1973 | F1 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1973 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1965 | F1 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 18, 1961 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1953 | F1 | 25 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF0 | 23 mi | 0.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2008 | EF0 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1987 | F0 | 2 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Williston
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Williston since 1968, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on August 9, 1968. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. July has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Williston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Burlington International Airport, VT, 3 miles northwest of Williston at 330 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 13°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 37.6 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (22.1 of 37.6 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 145 nights a year. Snowfall averages 87.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.6 inches is more than at 2 of the 33 Vermont stations used on this site (6%). Essex Junction, 4 miles north, has its own station (Essex Junction 1 N, VT): 42.3 inches a year, 4.7 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 13 | 2.1 | 6 | 21.1 |
| Feb | 32 | 14 | 1.8 | 5 | 19.3 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.2 | 6 | 17.5 |
| Apr | 55 | 36 | 3.1 | 8 | 4.1 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 32 | 2.7 | 6 | 5.7 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.5 | 7 | 19.5 |
| Year | 57 | 39 | 37.6 | 82 | 87.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Burlington International Airport, VT (330 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 Williston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 216 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Williston: 174 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 floods, 15 flash floods and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $9.5 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, 7 of 15. Of the 74 Vermont cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 51 have had fewer than Williston.
July 30, 2019: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Williston — 2 killed, $25,000 damage.
May 26, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Williston — 1 injured.
July 6, 2011: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Williston — $1.0 million 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
Chittenden County, which includes Williston, 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.