Orange County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Orange County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by VT GS (297), NASA (2).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Aug 28, 2011Flash Flood$32.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe flash flooding occurred across portions of Orange county, especially southern and western sections along the foothills of the Green Mountains. Communities such as Braintree, Randolph, Brookfield, Williamstown, Chelsea, Tunbridge and Strafford suffered signficant damage to roads and bridges (state and local), including Routes 12, 12A, 14, 110 and 113. Several homes and businesses as well as farms suffered tremendous losses to crops and livestock.

2. Aug 28, 2011Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Irene caused flooding countywide in Orange County VT. Flooding along Wells River was extensive, isolating Wells River Village VT. Flooding along the Waits River caused widespread flooding through Corinth VT and downstream to Bradford VT.

3. Jun 27, 1998Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An area of low pressure tracked across New York and New England during the late night of Friday (June 26) and morning of Saturday (June 27). Heavy convective rains fell with 4 to 8 inches across northern portions of the county with extensive flooding. The Waits River and Ayers Brook experienced massive flooding.Widespread flooding was reported in Randolph. In Braintree 75 percent of the town roads were damaged. In Bradford, 2 feet of water was reported across many roads with road washouts and erosion. Many homes and businesses were flooded with a state of emergency declared. Up to 1000 people were without power. The National Guard assisted with cleanup operations.

4. Jul 1, 2017Flash Flood$1.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Roads throughout Orange County were heavily damaged by flash flooding. Thetford was particularly hard hit, where 75 percent of the towns roads were damaged. Residents were isolated by flood waters and damaged roads.

5. Jul 11, 2007Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads washed out and flooded in Randolph and Randolph Center including Routes 12 and 14. Spotter reported over 6 inches of rainfall in Randolph Center. Other communities affected include Brookfield and Williamstown.

6. Jul 15, 1997Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A cold front stalled across northern Vermont and focused heavy convective rain in this area the morning of July 15. Road washouts were reported, especially in the northern portion of the county with rapid rises on area rivers.

7. Dec 23, 2022High Wind, Orange$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Peak observed wind gust in limited observation network was 50 mph but based on tree damage several locations, especially the higher terrain likely experienced wind gusts in excess of 60-65 mph. Numerous branches, trees downed by winds as well as power outages.

8. Aug 21, 2009Flash Flood$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms produced torrential downpours in Chelsea, western Corinth, and southeast Washington Vermont. An official NWS Cooperative Observer reported a rainfall total of 2.79 inches, and other unofficial reports of 4 inches of rain within 2 hours were common. Flash Flooding resulted, and the town center of Chelsea was the hardest hit. The First Branch of the White left its banks and rushed down Route 110 in the middle of Chelsea Village. Route 113 east of Chelsea was also closed near Densmore road due to high water. Jail Brook forced the evacuation of the Orange County Sheriff office. Cookeville Brook destroyed a section of West Corinth Road near the Washington/Corinth town…

9. Jul 21, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hundreds of 40-50 foot pines, large mature maples and other trees snapped or uprooted in a northwest to southeast direction along East Hill and Chelsea roads along the Brookfield/Chelsea town line centered off Woods road. More than two dozen utility poles down as well as structural damage to several homes. Microburst and straight-line wind damage with winds estimated 80 to 90 mph was determined by NWS survey.

10. Apr 15, 2014Flood$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Flooding from heavy rainfall and snowmelt closed state highways in Orange County and damaged unpaved secondary roads. Route 14 in South Randolph and Route 110 in Chelsea were covered by flood waters. In Newbury, Route 5 was flooded by the Connecticut River. Other local roads in Thetford, Chelsea, and Topsham were damaged by flood waters.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

97°F2 times, most recently Jul 20, 1977

All-time low

−34°FJan 4, 1981

Warmest night

77°FJul 18, 1982

Coldest day

−15°FJan 4, 1981

Wettest day

5.28 inJul 10, 2023

Snowiest day

20.0 inNov 25, 1971

Hottest year

2022mean 46.4°F

Coldest year

1963mean 40.4°F

Wettest year

201155.14 in

Driest year

200121.97 in

Snowiest season

149.0 in1995-96

Station Montpelier Airport (USW00094705), 1,105 ft elevation, 16.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00094705.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.