Lightning Strike in Vermont, August 2, 2005

Name: Lightning Strike in Vermont, August 2, 2005
Start: 2005-08-02T21:00
End: 2005-08-02T21:00
Location: Vermont

August 2, 2005 · NWS BTV · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning struck a hospital in the Newport area and resulted in extensive damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BTV wrote it up.

Lightning struck a hospital in the Newport area and resulted in extensive damage.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Burlington, VT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 2, 8:51 PM EST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 8:51 PM EST, 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
951 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

.SHORT TERM (OVERNIGHT)...
HAVE ALREADY SENT OUT UPDATED ZONE FORECASTS TO CANCEL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH 697 ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. RADAR LOOP SHOWING
MOST OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS
THE FORECAST AREA...EXCEPT FOR SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST VERMONT. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO
DIMINISH AROUND MIDNIGHT. EXPECTING SOME PATCHY FOG TO DEVELOP
OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED RAINFALL THIS
EVENING...AS SKIES SHOULD CLEAR OUT OVERNIGHT AND THIS COMBINED WITH
LIGHT OR CALM WINDS WILL HELP TO PRODUCE SOME AREAS OF RADIATION FOG.
OTHERWISE...NO CHANGES TO THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 416 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005)

SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
HAVE ALREADY SENT OUT UPDATED ZONE FORECASTS TO MENTION SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH 697 UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST
AREA. RADAR ALREADY SHOWING A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING IN CANADA ACROSS THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY AT THIS TIME
MOVING SOUTH TOWARD THE FORECAST AREA.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 257 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005)

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HRS ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY COULD BE
CLOSE TO ANOTHER REPEAT OF LAST NIGHTS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. TAIL-END
OF SHORT WAVE MVG SOUTH OVER NORTHERN VT ATTM W/ SOME RW/TRW SHOWING
UP ON RADAR. ONCE THIS PASSES...SECOND ONE WILL PASS SOUTH OVER REST
OF FA THIS EVENING. AMPLE INSTABILITY OUT AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM HAS
POTENTIAL TO TRIGGER SOME POSSIBLE SEVERE T-STORMS WITH WINDS BEING
THE MAIN THREAT. WILL BE PUTTING ENHANCED WORDING IN ZONES FOR
AFTERNOON PACKAGE FOR WINDS...BUT WILL ALSO MAKE MENTION OF HAIL AND
HEAVY RAIN. WB-ZERO RANGING FROM 8KFT-10KFT AND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
HAIL FROM YESTERDAY/S STORMS WILL WARRANT MENTION FOR TNGT. MOST
ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON...ENDING FROM NORTH TO
SOUTH OVER FA FROM 00Z-03Z. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN OVERNITE
INTO WED. WED AND THURS LOOK TO BE AT OR ABV 90F AS HIGH PRESSURE
SYSTEM WORKS OFF THE EAST COAST. MET/MAV GUIDANCE BOTH SHOW 90+ ON
THURSDAY WHICH SEEMS TO BE A GD BET W/ NEARLY CLR SKIES...850MB
TEMPS 18-20C. AS A RESULT...SOME TEMPS FOR THURSDAY WILL APPROACH
RECORD HIGHS:

8/4/05    BTV  95F/1944
          1V4  96F/1944
          MSS  95F/1955
          MPV  93F/1988

WEDNESDAY MAY COME CLOSE TO 90F...BUT WILL ALL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH
COOL AIR WORKS IN BEHIND SYSTEM TONIGHT TO START US OFF IN THE
MORNING. W/ HIGH PRESSURE OVER AREA...STRONG SUBSIDENCE OVER THE
REGION SHOULD INHIBIT ANY TS FORMATION OVER CWA SO WILL LEAVE OUT OF
FORECAST. MDLS FOR FROPA ON FRIDAY APPEAR TO BE A BIT FASTER MVG IT
THRU REGION...BUT ALSO LIMITING PRECIP OVER THE AREA AS COMPARED TO
EARLIER RUNS. WILL GO AHEAD AND SCALE BACK POPS A BIT BUT
CONCENTRATE HIR NUMBERS TOWARDS NORTHERN VT...AND THEN SCALE
BETWEEN 00Z-06Z SAT...AS FRNT TO BE OFFF COAST BY THEN.

LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)...
NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN AIR MASS IS EXPECTED BEHIND COLD FRONT THAT
MOVES THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY.  LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND THEN MOVE EAST OF
THE REGION ON MONDAY.  AS A RESULT...EXPECTED THE COOLEST CONDITIONS
ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING WITH A WARMING TREND EXPECTING SUNDAY
THROUGH TUESDAY.  PLENTY OF SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED AS WELL ON
SATURDAY...SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ON TUESDAY
SHOULD ALLOW FOR A RETURN OF SOME CLOUDS AND MOISTURE...BUT NO
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME AS MAIN FORCING APPEARS TO
REMAIN OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST.

AVIATION (18Z-18Z)...
CONDITIONS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE FOR A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS TO FORM JUST OVER THE CANADIAN BORDER AND MOVE
SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA.  TIME FRAME APPEARS TO BE FROM 20Z TO 01Z
THAT AREA WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE THUNDERSTORMS.  STORMS WILL BE
MOVING QUICKLY AND WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS.  HAVE INCLUDED THE POTENTIAL FOR VARIABLE WINDS GUSTING TO 30
TO 40 KNOTS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.  CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES MAY
FALL INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY DURING THIS TIME PERIOD AS WELL.
OTHERWISE...SKIES WILL CLEAR ONCE THE STORMS PASS AND WITH LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE LINGERING OVER THE AREA...SOME FOG SHOULD DEVELOP AT
KSLK...KMPV...AND KMSS.  CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO
REACH LIFR/VLIFR CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 08Z AND 13Z.  ONCE
THE FOG LIFTS...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE AREA.

&&

.BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VT...NONE.
NY...NONE.

&&

SHORT TERM...WGH

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 2, 4:33 AM EST, 16 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
533 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-030932-
CALEDONIA VT-EASTERN ADDISON VT-EASTERN CHITTENDEN VT-
EASTERN CLINTON NY-EASTERN ESSEX NY-EASTERN FRANKLIN VT-
EASTERN RUTLAND VT-ESSEX VT-GRAND ISLE VT-LAMOILLE VT-
NORTHERN FRANKLIN NY-NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-ORANGE VT-ORLEANS VT-
SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN NY-
SOUTHWESTERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-WASHINGTON VT-WESTERN ADDISON VT-
WESTERN CHITTENDEN VT-WESTERN CLINTON NY-WESTERN ESSEX NY-
WESTERN FRANKLIN VT-WESTERN RUTLAND VT-WINDSOR VT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARRE...BETHEL...BRANDON...BURLINGTON...
CANAAN...CANTON...DANBY...ESSEX JUNCTION...FAIR HAVEN...MALONE...
MASSENA...MIDDLEBURY...MONTPELIER...MORRISVILLE...NEWCOMB...
NEWPORT...OGDENSBURG...PLATTSBURGH...POTSDAM...RANDOLPH...RUTLAND...
SARANAC LAKE...SOUTH BURLINGTON...SPRINGFIELD...ST. ALBANS...
ST. JOHNSBURY...SWANTON...VERGENNES...WHITE RIVER JUNCTION...
WILLSBORO AND WINOOSKI
533 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK AS WELL AS
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VERMONT.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN
NEW YORK AND VERMONT WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND
SMALL HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY:
A COLD FRONT...COMBINED WITH A POTENT DISTURBANCE IN THE WINDS ALOFT
WILL HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON
FRIDAY. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SOME STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE ON
FRIDAY AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL AND STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE
THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT LIKELY THROUGH TONIGHT.

TABER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 2, 6:20 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
720 PM EDT TUE AUG 02 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MALONE                  44.85N 74.29W
08/02/2005                   FRANKLIN           NY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN AND 0.50 INCH HAIL

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MILTON                  44.64N 73.11W
08/02/2005                   CHITTENDEN         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON BEARTRAP ROAD AND WEST MILTON ROAD

&&

LAHIFF

Local storm report, Aug 2, 6:47 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
747 PM EDT TUE AUG 02 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ALBURG                  44.98N 73.30W
08/02/2005                   GRAND ISLE         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ALONG ROUTE 2

&&

LAHIFF

Local storm report, Aug 2, 7:04 PM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
804 PM EDT TUE AUG 02 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0715 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ESSEX                   44.51N 73.06W
08/02/2005                   CHITTENDEN         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            BIG MAPLE TREE DOWN ON WEED ROAD BLOCKING TRAFFIC

&&

LAHIFF

Local storm report, Aug 2, 7:54 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
854 PM EDT TUE AUG 02 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ALBURG                  44.98N 73.30W
08/02/2005                   GRAND ISLE         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ALONG ROUTE 2

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MALONE                  44.85N 74.29W
08/02/2005                   FRANKLIN           NY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN AND 0.50 INCH HAIL

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MILTON                  44.64N 73.11W
08/02/2005                   CHITTENDEN         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON BEARTRAP ROAD AND WEST MILTON ROAD

0715 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ESSEX                   44.51N 73.06W
08/02/2005                   CHITTENDEN         VT   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            BIG MAPLE TREE DOWN ON WEED ROAD BLOCKING TRAFFIC

&&

LAHIFF

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 8:05 PM EST, 55 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
905 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

VTZ004-030200-
ESSEX-

AT 900 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES WEST OF BLOOMFIELD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR MAIDSTONE STATE PARK AND MAIDSTONE BY
920 PM...AND NEAR GUILDHALL BY 940 PM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM.

SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 35 MPH OR HIGHER MAY ACCOMPANY THE
THUNDERSTORMS.

LAHIFF

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 8:14 PM EST, 46 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
914 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-030213-
CALEDONIA VT-EASTERN ADDISON VT-EASTERN CHITTENDEN VT-
EASTERN CLINTON NY-EASTERN ESSEX NY-EASTERN FRANKLIN VT-
EASTERN RUTLAND VT-ESSEX VT-GRAND ISLE VT-LAMOILLE VT-
NORTHERN FRANKLIN NY-NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-ORANGE VT-ORLEANS VT-
SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN NY-
SOUTHWESTERN ST. LAWRENCE NY-WASHINGTON VT-WESTERN ADDISON VT-
WESTERN CHITTENDEN VT-WESTERN CLINTON NY-WESTERN ESSEX NY-
WESTERN FRANKLIN VT-WESTERN RUTLAND VT-WINDSOR VT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARRE...BETHEL...BRANDON...BURLINGTON...
CANAAN...CANTON...DANBY...ESSEX JUNCTION...FAIR HAVEN...MALONE...
MASSENA...MIDDLEBURY...MONTPELIER...MORRISVILLE...NEWCOMB...
NEWPORT...OGDENSBURG...PLATTSBURGH...POTSDAM...RANDOLPH...RUTLAND...
SARANAC LAKE...SOUTH BURLINGTON...SPRINGFIELD...ST. ALBANS...
ST. JOHNSBURY...SWANTON...VERGENNES...WHITE RIVER JUNCTION...
WILLSBORO AND WINOOSKI
914 PM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED ACROSS ALL OF
VERMONT AND NORTHERN NEW YORK STATE...

A FEW STRONG STORMS...WITH BRIEFLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL...MAY
OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY UNTIL AROUND
MIDNIGHT...BUT THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED.

PLEASE REPORT ANY INCIDENTS OF WIND DAMAGE OR HAIL THAT OCCURRED
ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY TODAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BURLINGTON VERMONT.

The radar

The Burlington radar (KCXX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Orleans

When: August 2, 9:00 PM EST
Where: Orleans County, Newport
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.829, -72.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Vermont in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Vermont, August 2005

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5471715.