NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Luray, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Luray, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 31
- 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 Luray
The strongest storm to pass near Luray was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 19 miles. The record near Luray begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 61 miles away. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Luray has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on March 21, 1976; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 31, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Luray. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1996, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Luray.
Compare Luray's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Luray
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 45 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 19 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 69 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Luray: 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 Luray
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5
- 2000s13
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 33.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 7 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 19, 1978 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1960 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2013 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 2009 | EF1 | 6 mi | 1.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2004 | F1 | 19 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Luray
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Luray since 1996, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 3, 2009. The most recent report is from May 30, 2025. June has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Luray
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Luray 5 E, VA, 5 miles east of Luray at 1,400 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 23°F. September is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 44.3 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 44.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 5.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 112 nights a year. Snowfall averages 18.6 inches a year, most of it in March. That 44.3 inches is more than at 36 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (33%). New Market, 11 miles west, has its own station (Edinburg, VA): 37.3 inches a year, 7.0 less than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 2.9 | 5 | 6.1 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 2.5 | 5 | 2.7 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 3.6 | 6 | 6.2 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 5.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 43 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.0 |
| Year | 65 | 43 | 44.3 | 76 | 18.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Luray 5 E, VA (1,400 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 Luray
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 185 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Luray: 136 thunderstorm wind reports, 41 floods and 8 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on June 4, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Luray.
June 22, 2026: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Luray — $1.0 million damage.
June 4, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Luray — $237,000 damage.
NWS: “An areal survey was conducted in Luray. An intermittent path of damage approximately 3 miles long from the high school to the east was caused by straight line winds from thunderstorm microbursts.”
August 25, 2007: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Luray — $175,000 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 Luray's ZIP code 22835 have filed 106 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $2.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Fran in 1996: 56 claims (53% of all) and $1.6 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 23 and Hurricane Isabel in 2003 with 14. 89% 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, 136 have fewer than Luray.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 56 | $1.6 million |
| Flooding1996 | 23 | $341,000 |
| Hurricane Isabel2003 | 14 | $167,000 |
Page County, which includes Luray, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 5 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Page County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 55th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 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.