The Tornado Outbreak of June 23, 1782: A Remarkable Western New England Event

The Mitchell Map of 1874 with the approximate paths of the four tornadoes reported on June 23,1782

From the earliest period of English settlement in New England there have been reports of tornado activity. In the early days such storms were often referred to as “hurricanes” since the damage was similar to hurricanes, although in a more limited areal coverage.

On Sunday June 23, 1782 a significant squall line appears to have passed through New England. The antecedent weather seems not to have been mentioned, but we must assume that there was a warm, moist air mass in place.

At about noon, Dalton, Massachusetts was hit by a significant wind event, but no rain, hail, or thunder were reported. Trees a foot in diameter were twisted off six or seven feet from the ground and several large buildings were blown down to suggest a tornado, although local reports called it a “hurricane”.

The squall line must have been slow moving since at 3PM damaging winds were reported in Manchester, Vermont with building and crop damage noted. It would appear that a tornado swarm then erupted north of Manchester with three separate paths reported – one through Pawlet, VT and two longer tornadoes – one passing northeasterly with severe lightening, thunder, torrential rains, and hail reported to be 6 inches in diameter. That storm hit Royalton, Vermont flooding many houses, leveling one structure, with hail destroying crops. The easterly funnel grew to a width of 1/2 mile passing through Weathersfield, VT, crossed the Connecticut River and hit Claremont, NH and eventually Croyden. In these storms, houses in the path were completely destroyed and one death was reported. Again trees were noted to be twisted off several feet above the ground to suggest a true tornado. As the squall line passed east a sea captain was killed by lightening while in his home in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Royalton at the time was on the edge of the American frontier – Vermont was not a state and the town had just survived the Roylaton Raid in 1780 – a British led Revolutionary War Indian raid in which captured male settlers were taken back to Canada as prisoners. A monument to Hannah Handy still stands on the Royalton Town Common. She stood up to one of the Indians who had rounded up the women and children and demanded their release since she had fed and housed that same Indian the year before as he passed through on a trading trip. Life indeed was difficult on the frontier!

One can only imagine the damage that would be done today with a similar tornado outbreak through what is still fairly rural country, but clearly much more populated than in the 18th century.