NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Amherst, 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 Amherst, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Amherst
The strongest storm to pass near Amherst was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Amherst begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 14 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Amherst has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 15, 2018, came within 4 miles. Of the 15, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Amherst. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Amherst has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Amherst
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 65 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 13 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 46 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 29 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 Amherst: 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 Amherst
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s4(1 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF3 | 4 mi | 20.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 16, 1966 | F3 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2022 | EF2 | 17 mi | 6.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 21 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 17 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 21 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1976 | F1 | 12 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 1, 1951 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF0 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF0 | 8 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF0 | 21 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Amherst
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Amherst since 1974, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 1, 2012. The most recent report is from December 31, 2024. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Amherst
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tye Rvr 1 SE, VA, 9 miles east of Amherst at 720 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 26°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.5 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.4 of 46.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 105 nights a year. That 46.5 inches is more than at 60 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (55%). Monroe, 10 miles west, has its own station (Lynchburg #2, VA): 43.8 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 52 | 28 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Mar | 60 | 34 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 70 | 43 | 3.6 | 6 |
| May | 77 | 52 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Year | 69 | 45 | 46.5 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tye Rvr 1 SE, VA (720 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 Amherst
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 192 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Amherst: 151 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 floods, 17 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 4, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 17. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 153 have had fewer than Amherst.
May 4, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Amherst — 1 killed, $15,000 damage.
November 29, 2005: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Amherst — $325,000 damage.
August 21, 2014: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Amherst — $200,000 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 Amherst's ZIP code 24521 have filed 33 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $145,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 15% 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, 79 have fewer than Amherst.
Amherst County, which includes Amherst, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Amherst County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.5 million a year, the 81st highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 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.
Cities near Amherst
- Monroe, VA10 mi
- Arrington, VA10 mi
- Madison Heights, VA11 mi
- Roseland, VA13 mi
- Lynchburg, VA17 mi
- Buena Vista, VA17 mi
- Shipman, VA18 mi
- Concord, VA20 mi
- Glasgow, VA20 mi
- Forest, VA21 mi
- Nellysford, VA22 mi
- Spout Spring, VA23 mi
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