Washington County

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 (758), NASA (5).

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. Jul 11, 2023Flash Flood$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Three to seven inches of rain fell during the afternoon/evening of July 10 and into the morning hours on July 11. Severe flash flooding occurred, most notably in the Barre area where the Stevens and Jail Branches of the Winooski River were overwhelmed. A number of homes and businesses were damaged, especially along Route 302. A few landslides also occurred, causing damage.

2. Aug 28, 2011Flash Flood$60.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe todevastating flash flooding occurred across much of Washington county, especially in the foothills of the Green Mountains. Communities such as Roxbury, Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown, Montpelier, Barre, Berlin, Northfield suffered major damage to roads and bridges (state and local), including Routes 12, 12A, 14, 17, 62, and 100. Several communities were isolated due to loss infrastructure. Several homes and businesses as well as farms suffered tremendous losses to crops and livestock.

3. Aug 28, 2011Flood$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene caused extensive flooding across Washington County VT. The Winooski River was the primary river in flood in Washington County, cresting at 19.05 feet in Montpelier at 21:15 EST August 28, the second highest crest on record. Flooding was extensive in downtown Montpelier. Downstream in Waterbury, the Winooski flooded the Waterbury State Office Complex and portions of downtown Waterbury. Many offices of state agencies were inundated, and active operations at the Vermont state mental hospital and Vermont Emergency Management Emergency Operations Center were forced to relocate during the flood.

4. Jul 10, 2023Flash Flood$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Training showers and thunderstorms with heavy to torrential rainfall affected this area from the early morning to early afternoon hours on July 10, 2023. Observations and radar estimates show 3 to 6 inches of rain occurred, with localized amount to 7-8 inches. This lead to areas of significant flash flooding with numerous roads closed. The towns of Berlin, Williamstown, Roxbury and Middlesex were most impacted, with scattered reports elsewhere.

5. Jun 27, 1998Flash Flood$5.0 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 3 to 6 inches across the county. Extensive flooding occurred, especially along the Mad River. Most of the damage was concentrated in the Warren and Waitsfield areas. A number of people were without power. A state of emergency was declared with the National Guard assisting with cleanup operations.Numerous extensive road washouts resulted with a few bridges washed out. A covered bridge in Warren was heavily damaged. Two people were rescued from trees when their mobile home washed away. Flooding also occurred in…

6. May 26, 2011Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Devastating flash flooding occurred in the towns of Berlin, Plainfield, Cabot, Marshfield, Montpelier, and Northfield. The Stevens Branch flooded much of downtown Barre, and swift water rescues were conducted for people trapped by flood waters. Many homes and businesses were flooded along Route 302 in Barre. The River Run Manor mobile home park was flooded, displacing approximately 200 persons. Multiple town roads were severely damaged, and Routes 302, 2, 14, 62, and 63 were closed in and around Barre. Plainfield suffered many road washouts, and roads were damaged in Northfield. The Winooski flooded sections of Route 2 in East Montpelier, damaging businesses.

7. Jul 10, 2024Flash Flood$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Dept. of Highways and the public reported numerous roads and bridges washed out in the Plainfield area. Some of the damage was catastrophic with several homes completely destroyed along the Great Brook. NWS Storm Surveys the following day confirmed other road washouts not specifically mentioned in LSRs.

8. Jul 10, 2023Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Three to seven inches fell in the area through the day, leading to severe flash flooding along the Jail and Stevens Branches of the Winooski River in the Barre, VT area. Areas along Route 302 were hardest hit. Some flash flooding was also noted in Montpelier and Berlin, VT during this time.

9. Jul 11, 2007Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Routes 302 and 100 in East Barre near Dugout Restaurant flooded. Eventually several roads including Routes 302 and 110 were washed out, taking several vehicles downstream. The Dugout Restaurant and several homes were flooded with significant flood and structural damage.

10. Jul 10, 2023Flash Flood$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Three to six inches of rain fell on the affected area during the afternoon and early evening on July 10. This led to areas of extensive flash flooding, some landslides and damaged homes.

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, 2.9 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.