How Likely Is a Tornado in Washington County, VT?
Washington County, VT: what NOAA's tornado record says
In 76 years of NOAA/SPC tracking, Washington County has no recorded tornado track. Zero is the honest answer here, not missing data. Put another way: Washington County sees more tornado activity than 3% of US counties. Among 14 Vermont counties in this dataset, Washington County ranks 13 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
0 weak and 0 significant tornadoes make up Washington County's 0-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Washington County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Vermont has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Vermont this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
The storm that misses Washington County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across Vermont are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Washington County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 687 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Washington County has about 59,844 residents.