NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Altavista, 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
23 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Altavista, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 36 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 20
- Tornadoes
- 36
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Altavista
The strongest storm to pass near Altavista was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 18 miles. The record near Altavista begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 11 miles away. Of the 23 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Altavista has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 36 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 15, 2018, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 24, 2016, killed 1 person. Of the 36, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Altavista. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1995, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Altavista has more hail reports within 10 miles than 64% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Altavista's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Altavista
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 68 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 53 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Altavista: 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 Altavista
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s9(2 EF3+)
- 2000s12
- 1990s3
- 1980s2
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF3 | 24 mi | 16.89 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF3 | 14 mi | 20.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF2 | 25 mi | 6.85 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 27, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 6.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 12 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1977 | F2 | 6 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 10 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1957 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 36, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Altavista
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Altavista since 1995, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently April 6, 2023. The most recent report is from April 6, 2023. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Altavista
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA, 14 miles north of Altavista at 940 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 42.9 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (21.7 of 42.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 42.9 inches is more than at 19 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (17%). Gretna, 11 miles south, has its own station (Chatham, VA): 47.7 inches a year, 4.8 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 3.5 | 6 | 3.5 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 3.8 | 7 | 2.4 |
| Apr | 69 | 44 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 57 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 42.9 | 74 | 11.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA (940 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 Altavista
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 144 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Altavista: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 7 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on May 9, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 101 have had fewer than Altavista.
May 31, 2019: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Altavista — 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew down a couple of trees in Altavista. The winds also blew down numerous tents and a few portable toilets at a large festival in English Park.”
September 22, 2010: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Altavista — 1 injured, $16,000 damage.
May 31, 2019: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Altavista — $499,000 damage.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Altavista's ZIP code 24517 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1995, and were paid $234,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 30% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 0 have fewer than Altavista.
Campbell County, which includes Altavista, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Campbell County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.1 million a year, the 58th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.8 million (64%), 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.
Cities near Altavista
- Hurt, VA4 mi
- Lynch Station, VA5 mi
- Evington, VA8 mi
- Gretna, VA11 mi
- Gladys, VA12 mi
- Rustburg, VA13 mi
- Huddleston, VA14 mi
- Forest, VA17 mi
- Goode, VA18 mi
- Lynchburg, VA19 mi
- Bedford, VA20 mi
- Brookneal, VA20 mi
All Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Altavista with another place →