NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Penhook, 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 Penhook, Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 36 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 36
- 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 Penhook
The strongest storm to pass near Penhook was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 84 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 36 miles. The record near Penhook begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 11 miles away. The 1880s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Penhook. The strongest of the 36 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 19, 2019; its path came within 11 miles. Of the 36, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Penhook. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 71 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Penhook has more hail reports within 10 miles than 70% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Penhook's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Penhook
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 36 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 71 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Penhook: 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 Penhook
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s10
- 1990s8
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF3 | 11 mi | 8.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF2 | 11 mi | 6.85 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 18 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 9, 1996 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1994 | F2 | 18 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 25, 1977 | F2 | 18 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 25 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2018 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 36, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Penhook
The Storm Prediction Center has 71 hail reports within 10 miles of Penhook since 1967, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 18, 1995. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Penhook
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rocky Mt, VA, 15 miles west of Penhook at 1,315 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. September is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (25.6 of 49.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 5.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.3 inches is more than at 92 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (84%). Huddleston, 12 miles northeast, has its own station (Chatham, VA): 47.7 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 3.9 | 7 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 27 | 3.1 | 6 | 4.9 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.5 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.2 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 34 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 50 | 29 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 49.3 | 80 | 12.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt, VA (1,315 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 Penhook
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 134 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Penhook: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 4 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 26, 2006. September has had the most flash floods, 6 of 9. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 55 have had fewer than Penhook.
June 13, 2000: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Penhook — $650,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Penhook — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees across the county. Several of these trees brought down power lines.”
September 30, 2010: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Penhook — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding along Snow Creek washed out Danbury Road. Damage values are estimated.”
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
Franklin County, which includes Penhook, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.0 million a year, the 48th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.9 million (72%), 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 Penhook
- Glade Hill, VA8 mi
- Wirtz, VA10 mi
- Huddleston, VA12 mi
- Chatham, VA13 mi
- Rocky Mount, VA14 mi
- Moneta, VA14 mi
- Gretna, VA18 mi
- Hardy, VA18 mi
- Dry Fork, VA18 mi
- Axton, VA19 mi
- Lynch Station, VA19 mi
- Goodview, VA19 mi
All Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Penhook with another place →