NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mount Sidney, 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
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mount Sidney, Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
13 deaths in all
What the records show for Mount Sidney
The strongest storm to pass near Mount Sidney was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 43 miles. The record near Mount Sidney begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 48 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Mount Sidney. The strongest of the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on September 30, 1959; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 11 people. Of the 25, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on April 26, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Mount Sidney. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mount Sidney.
Compare Mount Sidney's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mount Sidney
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 66 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 43 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 30 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 Mount Sidney: 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 Mount Sidney
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s4
- 2000s5
- 1990s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s3
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 1959 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.8 mi | 11 / 4 |
| May 4, 1990 | F2 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1963 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1960 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 26, 2022 | EF1 | 13 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 2.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 12 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2000 | F1 | 17 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mount Sidney
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Mount Sidney since 1970, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on August 24, 1989. The most recent report is from August 7, 2023. June has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mount Sidney
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Staunton Wtp, VA, 9 miles southwest of Mount Sidney 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 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); 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%). Weyers Cave, 3 miles northeast, has its own station (Dale Enterprise, VA): 38.9 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 86°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 Mount Sidney
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 211 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mount Sidney: 147 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 floods and 17 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on July 6, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 17. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 153 have had fewer than Mount Sidney.
July 6, 2022: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Mount Sidney — $1.2 million damage.
June 23, 2006: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Mount Sidney — $500,000 damage.
June 22, 2006: thunderstorm wind in Mount Sidney — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Severe winds hit an area just southwest of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. Numerous trees were downed, minor property damage occurred to a few buildings and homes, and one tree fell on a parked car.”
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
Augusta County, which includes Mount Sidney, 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 Mount Sidney
- Weyers Cave, VA3 mi
- Verona, VA5 mi
- Grottoes, VA7 mi
- Mount Crawford, VA7 mi
- Crimora, VA9 mi
- Bridgewater, VA10 mi
- Staunton, VA10 mi
- Mount Solon, VA10 mi
- Fishersville, VA11 mi
- Churchville, VA12 mi
- Dayton, VA12 mi
- Waynesboro, VA13 mi
All Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Mount Sidney with another place →