'We got really lucky': Did Vermont see any tornados this weekend?

Over the weekend, it seemed like the Green Mountain State was poised for some severe weather − tornados included. The National Weather Service in Burlington issued a tornado watch for the entirety of Vermont from roughly 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 23.

Some area residents received an alert on their mobile phones about a tornado warning.

Despite initial concerns, no known tornados actually came to pass, said Boyd Marvin, an NWS Burlington meteorologist. If any tornados did touch down, they likely happened in uninhabited areas, he added.

Even the severe weather that did occur − such as thunderstorms, high winds, flash flooding and hail − resulted in little destruction other than some felled trees, standing water and washed out roads and culverts. Most of the damage was regulated to Lamoille and Washington counties.

"We really did get lucky yesterday," Boyd said, adding that if the sky had been clearer and the temperatures warmer, "we would have had a lot more damage from the storms."

Can we expect any tornados at all this year?

Historically, tornados are rare in the Green Mountain State, Boyd said. "We don't often get the conditions for them to form." Boyd added that NWS Burlington only issues one or two tornado warnings a year on average. Vermont surpassed that number on Sunday.

Vermonters are most likely safe from tornados the rest of the week, but maybe not from thunderstorms.

"We do have a chance for thunderstorms on Wednesday," Boyd said, with the strongest storms expected to hit southern Vermont the hardest, especially Windham and Bennington counties. "It's not going to be as widespread − maybe one storm − and the atmosphere isn't as primed as this last event" on Sunday.

'We want to alleviate the anxiety': Difference between a tornado watch and warning

While the threat of a tornado should be taken seriously, Boyd said he noticed Vermonters were more anxious on Sunday than they needed to be.

Much of that fear, he said, stems from people misunderstanding the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

"When we issue a watch, it means that the atmospheric conditions are there," Boyd said. "The ingredients are there, but that doesn't mean it will happen."

In the event of a tornado watch, Vermonters should start devising a severe weather plan, such as deciding where to seek shelter. In contrast, when NWS Burlington issues a tornado warning, "that's when you enact your plan."

"There was a lot of anxiety yesterday about conditions yesterday, and we want to alleviate the anxiety and give people the information so they can make a plan." Boyd said.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.