For the most part, Vermont is a safe and peaceful place. However, disasters can strike when we least expect it and these horrifying events actually took place. Some of these events you may remember, some you may not have heard of before, but all are tragic and we should be thankful for our lives every day. Here are some totally unforgettable Vermont natural disasters - which ones do you recall?

1. Tropical Storm Irene

Tropical Storm Irene ripped through Vermont on Sunday, August 28, 2011, and we are still seeing the effects years later. Houses were washed away, businesses demolished, irreplaceable personal items… all gone. Flooding destroyed roads, farms were decimated, and the environment was severely impacted.

2. Frozen to the roof.

On January 29, 1907, a farmer in Berlin named George Salina was working on his roof on a winter afternoon when a wind knocked his ladder down. No one saw him up there and he wasn’t found until 11 p.m. when temperatures plummeted to -20 degrees. The headline on the Boston Journal article read: FARMER IS TURNED INTO A HUMAN SHINGLE.

3. Flying Circus.

In Rutland in 1922, 30,000 people gathered to watch a flying circus. Fun turned to tragedy when one plane crashed, and three people were killed in front of the crowd. A few hours later, a 4th person met their untimely fate when an aeronaut jumped out of a balloon and his parachute failed to open. Oof.

4. The Hartford Railroad Disaster.

The Hartford Railroad Disaster, which happened in 1887, was one of the most tragic events of them all. It was a frigid -15 degrees on February 5th, and the train went off the tracks - killing 37 and injuring 50.

5. Poisoned.

Twenty-seven children were poisoned and nine died from accidental poisoning in Newark after drinking from a brook. This happened in June 1879, and while the original thought was that the water was contaminated by a dead horse carcass and several deceased sheep in the stream, the actual cause was determined to be a result of potato tops poisoned by Paris green, which were subsequently thrown into the brook.

6. Great Flood of 1927.

One of Vermont's most devastating events was the 1927 flood which destroyed 1285 bridges, miles and miles of roads and railways, along with countless homes and buildings. 84 people died in the flood. It became known forever as the great Vermont Flood.

7. Huntington Gorge.

Huntington Gorge is one of the most beautiful spots in Vermont, and it’s also one of the most deadly. Dozens of people have died at this rocky spot that still has people daring to swim in it despite the (many) warnings.

8. Blasted.

16-year-old Perley Smith had his head blown off by a cannon in Middlebury, despite standing 70 feet away from the blast. Several others were maimed in the accident as well. It was easily one of the worst incidents in Vermont's history involving minors.

9. Plane crash on Camel's Hump.

Four planes have crashed into Camel’s Hump, but the worst one by far took place on October 16th, 1944. Nine of the 10 people on board died and the remaining survivor was found close to death by five boys who were pulled from the local school to assist with the search.

10. A hole in the head.

One of Vermont’s local celebrities is Phineas Gage, a man who had an iron rod shot through his skull and lived to tell the tale. Read more about Phineas Gage and this sordid tale in our other articles about exactly this.

Who says dark things don't happen here? Unfortunately, they definitely do - though thankfully, they're uncommon. Let's lift our spirits now and look at these beautiful photos of Vermont.