NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rixeyville, 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
25 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rixeyville, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 22
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Rixeyville
The strongest storm to pass near Rixeyville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Rixeyville begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 48 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 25 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Rixeyville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on September 24, 2001; its path came within 1 mile. Of the 57, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. Rixeyville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 62% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 47 times since 1959, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Rixeyville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rixeyville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 19 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 7 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 44 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 30 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 Rixeyville: 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 Rixeyville
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s10
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2001 | F4 | 1 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F3 | 9 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 18 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 20 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 15 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 15 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 12 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 8, 2004 | F2 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 1993 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 13, 1983 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 19, 1978 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1976 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rixeyville
The Storm Prediction Center has 47 hail reports within 10 miles of Rixeyville since 1959, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 4, 1996. The most recent report is from July 18, 2025. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rixeyville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sperryville, VA, 14 miles west of Rixeyville at 750 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 24°F. September is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.9 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (25.8 of 48.9 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 25 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal October there has highs of 67°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.0 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 48.9 inches is more than at 90 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (83%). Culpeper, 9 miles south, has its own station (Piedmont Rsch Stn, VA): 43.8 inches a year, 5.1 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 24 | 3.6 | 6 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 2.8 | 6 | 6.9 |
| Mar | 54 | 31 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.2 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 35 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 4.0 | 7 | 4.8 |
| Year | 65 | 43 | 48.9 | 82 | 21.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sperryville, VA (750 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 Rixeyville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 309 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rixeyville: 214 thunderstorm wind reports, 65 floods and 30 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $960,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 25, 2004. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 252 have had fewer than Rixeyville.
June 22, 2022: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Rixeyville — $250,000 damage.
May 25, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rixeyville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees down on houses and an apartment complex. Several utility poles were snapped, and many trees down in a 100 yard wide area.”
June 22, 2018: flood 2 miles from the centre of Rixeyville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The stream gage on Hazel River near Rixeyville exceeded the 16 foot flood stage during the indicated period. The gage was washed away during the height of the flood, which was at least 10 feet over the flood stage.”
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
Culpeper County, which includes Rixeyville, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 11, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Culpeper County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.9 million a year, the 37th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.8 million (66%), 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 Rixeyville
- Jeffersonton, VA6 mi
- Amissville, VA7 mi
- Culpeper, VA9 mi
- Remington, VA11 mi
- Bealeton, VA13 mi
- Warrenton, VA15 mi
- Midland, VA15 mi
- Catlett, VA19 mi
- Marshall, VA19 mi
- Rhoadesville, VA21 mi
- Madison, VA21 mi
- Locust Grove, VA22 mi
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