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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Callao, 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

54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Callao, Virginia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
4

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
50

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
70

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Callao

The strongest storm to pass near Callao was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 96 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Callao begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 23 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 54 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Callao has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 24, 2016, came within 12 miles. Of the 70, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on July 1, 2025. Callao has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 15 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Callao.

Compare Callao's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Callao

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Callao, Virginia, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021ElsaJul 923 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
2020ZetaOct 2915 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
2020IsaiasAug 44 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2064 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1275 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 5
2013AndreaJun 841 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 63 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 29 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2004GastonAug 3145 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
2004CharleyAug 1573 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 4
1999FloydSep 1661 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1315 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1992DanielleSep 2555 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1983DeanSep 3054 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1971DoriaAug 2850 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1969CamilleAug 2060 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 5
1963Unnamed 1963 stormJun 322 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1454 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3037 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1065 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1955ConnieAug 1315 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 4
1954HazelOct 1565 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1832 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2137 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 216 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormOct 122 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 671 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 5
1933Unnamed 1933 stormAug 2319 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 231 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1950 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 129 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3048 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1745 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1520 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 124 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1623 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 129 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1071 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2345 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2550 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 114 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 230 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2349 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1125 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormSep 1072 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2331 miCategory 2 (96 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 413 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1740 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2920 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2619 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1841 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2747 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1731 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 2060 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Callao: 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 Callao

By decade

  • 2020s10
  • 2010s21(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s11
  • 1990s14
  • 1980s4
  • 1970s6
  • 1960s3(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Callao, Virginia
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Feb 24, 2016EF312 mi30.34 mi0 / 25
Nov 2, 1966F310 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
May 3, 2021EF22 mi4.41 mi0 / 0
Aug 4, 2020EF213 mi15.61 mi0 / 5
May 2, 1989F212 mi5 mi0 / 0
Aug 31, 1983F211 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
May 11, 1981F223 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
Apr 25, 1975F212 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jul 1, 2025EF119 mi0.98 mi0 / 0
Apr 3, 2024EF13 mi5.78 mi0 / 0
Aug 4, 2020EF118 mi2.2 mi0 / 0
Apr 6, 2017EF123 mi3.71 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Callao

The Storm Prediction Center has 15 hail reports within 10 miles of Callao since 1960, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 7 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on April 9, 1998. The most recent report is from May 1, 2025. May has the most reports, 5.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Callao

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warsaw 2 NW, VA, 12 miles west of Callao at 140 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 29°F. August is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 45.3 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (25.6 of 45.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 77 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.3 inches is more than at 45 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (41%). Lexington Park, MD, 18 miles north, has its own station (Patuxent River NAS, MD): 45.4 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Lewisetta, VA, 5 miles east, averaged 83°F in July and 40°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Lewisetta tide gauge, 5 miles from Callao, has risen 2.34 ± 0.11 inches per decade from 1970 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 23.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 130 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Warsaw 2 NW, VA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow inWater °F
Jan47293.064.440
Feb50302.653.342
Mar59373.761.449
Apr70463.270.159
May77553.970.068
Jun84644.470.077
Jul88684.770.083
Aug86665.070.082
Sep80604.260.076
Oct70494.060.066
Nov60393.350.155
Dec50323.362.245
Year684845.37511.562

Averages for 1991–2020 at Warsaw 2 NW, VA (140 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Lewisetta, VA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Virginia weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Callao

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 151 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Callao: 110 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 heavy rain events, 14 flash floods and 10 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $317,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 62 mph, on April 1, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 14. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 122 have had fewer than Callao.

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 Callao's ZIP code 22435 have filed 16 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1994, and were paid $873,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 56% 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, 31 have fewer than Callao.

Northumberland County, which includes Callao, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Northumberland County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes; Very Low for hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.5 million a year, the 68th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (38%), is from hurricanes.

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 Callao