NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Raphine, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Raphine, Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 17 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 17
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Raphine
The strongest storm to pass near Raphine was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 24 miles. The record near Raphine begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 37 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Raphine. The strongest of the 17 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 15, 2018; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on May 4, 1990, killed 2 people. Of the 17, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Raphine. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1961, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Raphine.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Raphine
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 11 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 24 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 56 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 19 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 Raphine: 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 Raphine
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5(1 EF3+)
- 2000s1
- 1990s4
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF3 | 23 mi | 20.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 4, 1990 | F2 | 13 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1963 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2022 | EF1 | 15 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 17 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1999 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1995 | F1 | 19 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 15 mi | 15.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1959 | F1 | 20 mi | 11.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF0 | 5 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF0 | 14 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF0 | 10 mi | 3.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 17, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Raphine
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Raphine since 1961, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently June 11, 2014. The most recent report is from April 14, 2025. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Raphine
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lexington, VA, 16 miles southwest of Raphine at 1,097 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 23°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 43.0 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 43.0 inches is more than at 20 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (18%). Greenville, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Staunton Wtp, VA): 40.8 inches a year, 2.2 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 23 | 3.2 | 5 | 2.9 |
| Feb | 49 | 25 | 2.8 | 6 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 57 | 31 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 68 | 40 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 59 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 32 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 48 | 26 | 3.5 | 6 | 3.4 |
| Year | 67 | 43 | 43.0 | 77 | 13.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lexington, VA (1,097 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 Raphine
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 84 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Raphine: 72 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 floods, 4 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $249,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 6, 2022.
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
Rockbridge County, which includes Raphine, has been named in 23 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 Rockbridge County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.1 million a year, the 57th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.7 million (74%), 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 Raphine
- Greenville, VA6 mi
- Stuarts Draft, VA12 mi
- Craigsville, VA13 mi
- Buena Vista, VA15 mi
- Roseland, VA16 mi
- Staunton, VA17 mi
- Lexington, VA17 mi
- Nellysford, VA18 mi
- Fishersville, VA18 mi
- Waynesboro, VA20 mi
- Churchville, VA22 mi
- Verona, VA22 mi
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