NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Afton, VA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Afton, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Afton
The strongest storm to pass near Afton was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Afton begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 28 miles away. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Afton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on September 30, 1959; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 11 people. Of the 25, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 6 each. The most recent tornado was on April 26, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Afton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Afton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Afton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Afton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 54 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 1 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 33 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Afton: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Afton
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s9
- 1990s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s2
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 1959 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.8 mi | 11 / 4 |
| Nov 29, 1963 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 26, 2022 | EF1 | 8 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 19 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2001 | F1 | 21 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2000 | F1 | 21 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 13, 2000 | F1 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 31, 1999 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1995 | F1 | 10 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 19 mi | 15.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Afton
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Afton since 1968, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 2, 1968. The most recent report is from June 26, 2023. June has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Afton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 8 miles northwest of Afton at 1,270 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 23°F. September is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 45.4 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.8 of 45.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 5.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 120 nights a year. That 45.4 inches is more than at 48 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (44%). Crozet, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Free Union, VA): 46.7 inches a year, 1.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Mar | 55 | 31 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 3.9 | 7 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Year | 66 | 42 | 45.4 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waynesboro Wtp, VA (1,270 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Afton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 281 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Afton: 194 thunderstorm wind reports, 50 floods, 34 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on June 29, 2012. September has had the most flash floods, 7 of 34. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 269 have had fewer than Afton.
April 16, 2011: flood 6 miles from the centre of Afton — 2 killed.
July 28, 1999: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Afton — 1 killed, $500 damage.
May 13, 2025: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Afton — 1 killed.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Albemarle County, which includes Afton, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Albemarle County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $40.3 million a year, the 8th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.5 million (68%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.