NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alton, 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
38 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alton, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 44 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 35
- Tornadoes
- 44
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Alton
The strongest storm to pass near Alton was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 49 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Alton begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 54 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems. Of the 38 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Alton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 44 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on March 24, 1969; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an EF2 on April 27, 2011, killed 1 person. Of the 44, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on September 4, 2025. Alton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 53% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1990, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Alton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 49 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | overhead | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 37 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alton: 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 Alton
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s14
- 2000s5
- 1990s9
- 1980s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 1969 | F3 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 15 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Nov 2, 2018 | EF2 | 22 mi | 1.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 7 mi | 26.24 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Oct 27, 2010 | EF2 | 10 mi | 3.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 8 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 5 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 6, 1962 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1952 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 4, 2025 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 44, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alton
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Alton since 1990, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on September 28, 2016. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. June has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is S Boston, VA, 13 miles northeast of Alton at 329 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 27°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 46.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.2 of 46.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 38 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 107 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.5 inches is more than at 60 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (55%). Roxboro, NC, 11 miles southeast, has its own station (Roxboro 7 ESE, NC): 47.2 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 27 | 3.6 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 54 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 72 | 43 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 53 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 46 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 35 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 29 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Year | 71 | 46 | 46.5 | 79 | 5.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at S Boston, VA (329 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 Alton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 203 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alton: 168 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 12 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 25, 2003. September 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 Alton.
October 11, 2018: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Alton — $2.6 million damage.
September 17, 2018: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Alton — $1.3 million damage.
April 24, 2017: flood 10 miles from the centre of Alton — $500,000 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
Halifax County, which includes Alton, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 7 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 Halifax County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.9 million a year, the 65th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (51%), 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 Alton
- Roxboro, NC11 mi
- South Boston, VA12 mi
- Ringgold, VA13 mi
- Blanch, NC14 mi
- Halifax, VA16 mi
- Providence, NC18 mi
- Yanceyville, NC20 mi
- Timberlake, NC20 mi
- Blairs, VA20 mi
- Hurdle Mills, NC21 mi
- Danville, VA21 mi
- Rougemont, NC24 mi
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