NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Craigsville, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Craigsville, Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 14 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 14
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Craigsville
The strongest storm to pass near Craigsville was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 32 miles. The record near Craigsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 14 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Craigsville. The highest rating among the 14 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 4, 1990, came within 2 miles. Of the 14, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 88% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Craigsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 10 times since 1968, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Craigsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Craigsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 32 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 64 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 10 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 Craigsville: 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 Craigsville
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s3
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1990 | F2 | 2 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1963 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2022 | EF1 | 19 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1999 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1995 | F1 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 11 mi | 15.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1959 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF0 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF0 | 17 mi | 3.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF0 | 15 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 2003 | F0 | 21 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 14, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Craigsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 10 hail reports within 10 miles of Craigsville since 1968, made on 9 separate days. All were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on August 7, 2023, the most recent report. April and July have the most reports, 3 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Craigsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Staunton Wtp, VA, 16 miles east of Craigsville at 169 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 25°F. July and September are the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (21.7 of 40.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 106 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 40.8 inches is more than at 9 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (8%). Raphine, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Lexington, VA): 43.0 inches a year, 2.2 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 2.9 | 6 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 2.4 | 5 | 6.8 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 36 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 | 4.8 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 40.8 | 76 | 21.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Staunton Wtp, VA (169 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 Craigsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 43 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Craigsville: 27 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $414,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on June 29, 2012. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Craigsville.
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Craigsville — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees blew down and there was roof damage to barns in Craigsville.”
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 Craigsville's ZIP code 24430 have filed 28 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $307,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1995, with 10. 18% 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, 63 have fewer than Craigsville.
Augusta County, which includes Craigsville, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 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 Augusta County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.3 million a year, the 20th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.0 million (71%), 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 Craigsville
- Raphine, VA13 mi
- Greenville, VA13 mi
- Churchville, VA15 mi
- Staunton, VA16 mi
- Stuarts Draft, VA19 mi
- Lexington, VA21 mi
- Fishersville, VA21 mi
- Verona, VA21 mi
- Mount Solon, VA22 mi
- Buena Vista, VA24 mi
- Mount Sidney, VA25 mi
- Waynesboro, VA25 mi
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