NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Leesburg, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Leesburg, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Leesburg
The strongest storm to pass near Leesburg was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 92 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Leesburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 24 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Leesburg has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on September 5, 1979, came within 17 miles. Of the 102, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 57 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Leesburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 95% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 88 times since 1964, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Leesburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Leesburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 4 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 26 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 21 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Leesburg: 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 Leesburg
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s19
- 2000s26
- 1990s24
- 1980s5
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 1979 | F3 | 17 mi | 17.9 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 1, 1973 | F3 | 25 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 8 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 19 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1996 | F2 | 18 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 27, 1993 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 10 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Leesburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 88 hail reports within 10 miles of Leesburg since 1964, made on 58 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 29, 2024. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Leesburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Purcellville, VA, 8 miles west of Leesburg at 510 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. September is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.0 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.4 of 44.0 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal October there has highs of 66°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 115 nights a year. That 44.0 inches is more than at 34 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (31%). Ashburn, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (WFO Sterling, VA): 45.1 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 3.1 |
| Feb | 44 | 26 | 2.6 |
| Mar | 53 | 32 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 65 | 42 | 3.5 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.4 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.3 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.1 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.6 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.8 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.5 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 3.1 |
| Dec | 45 | 28 | 3.4 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 44.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Purcellville, VA (510 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 Leesburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 449 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Leesburg: 334 thunderstorm wind reports, 85 floods, 29 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $3.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 8, 2008. August has had the most flash floods, 10 of 29. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 246 have had fewer than Leesburg.
June 23, 2015: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Leesburg — 1 killed, $3,000 damage.
July 3, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Leesburg — 1 killed.
NWS: “A fatality occurred when a tree fell onto a cyclist along the C and O Canal Towpath. The location along the Towpath was south of Whites Ferry along mile marker 33.”
November 5, 2003: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Leesburg — 3 injured, $100,000 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 Leesburg's 2 ZIP codes have filed 27 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $472,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 37% 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, 59 have fewer than Leesburg.
Loudoun County, which includes Leesburg, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Loudoun County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $60.7 million a year, the 4th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $37.5 million (62%), 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 Leesburg
- Hamilton, VA6 mi
- Ashburn, VA6 mi
- Waterford, VA7 mi
- Broadlands, VA7 mi
- Poolesville, MD8 mi
- Purcellville, VA9 mi
- Dickerson, MD11 mi
- Aldie, VA11 mi
- Sterling, VA11 mi
- Lovettsville, VA11 mi
- Point Of Rocks, MD11 mi
- Round Hill, VA11 mi
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