Southern Vermont was threatened by numerous tornados on this day in 1782. One touched down, ripping through Pawlet and Manchester, destroying forests, crops and buildings, and then broke into two separate storms.

One tornado headed southeast, the other northeast, both ripping up the earth as they crossed the state. One tore through Weathersfield, crossing the Connecticut River into New Hampshire.

The other deteriorated into a messy storm of hail and rain. Royalton measured hail balls six inches in diameter that a pound apiece. What wasn’t destroyed by the softball sized hail was washed out by instant flooding.

The Vermont Book Of Days photo.