NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Forest, 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 Forest, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 24 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 24
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Forest
The strongest storm to pass near Forest was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 22 miles. The record near Forest begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 5 miles away. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Forest has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 24 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 15, 2018; its path came within 4 miles. Of the 24, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Forest. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 90 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Forest has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Forest's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Forest
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 73 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 22 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 56 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 20 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 Forest: 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 Forest
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s3
- 1980s2
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF3 | 4 mi | 20.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 27, 2022 | EF2 | 4 mi | 6.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 5 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1977 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 2.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2018 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 17, 2009 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 24, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Forest
The Storm Prediction Center has 90 hail reports within 10 miles of Forest since 1965, made on 56 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently September 28, 2016. The most recent report is from May 13, 2025. June has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Forest
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lynchburg #2, VA, 4 miles east of Forest at 736 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 43.8 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 43.8 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 78°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 20 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 43.8 inches is more than at 31 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (28%). Evington, 9 miles south, has its own station (Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA): 42.9 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 3.4 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 50 | 26 | 2.9 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 58 | 33 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Apr | 68 | 41 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 63 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 33 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 3.8 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Year | 67 | 44 | 43.8 | 72 | 12.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lynchburg #2, VA (736 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 Forest
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 362 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Forest: 264 thunderstorm wind reports, 42 flash floods, 20 heavy rain events, 20 lightning strikes and 16 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $30.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 11, 2024. July has had the most flash floods, 14 of 42. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 289 have had fewer than Forest.
July 3, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Forest — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
August 2, 2018: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Forest — $18.0 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Forest — $7.1 million 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
Bedford County, which includes Forest, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bedford County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and inland flooding; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.6 million a year, the 31st highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.9 million (73%), 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.