NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ruckersville, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ruckersville, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 49 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 49
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Ruckersville
The strongest storm to pass near Ruckersville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 94 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Ruckersville begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 32 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 24 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Ruckersville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 49 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on October 18, 1990, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on September 30, 1959, killed 11 people. Of the 49, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on August 6, 2020. Ruckersville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1974, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Ruckersville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ruckersville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 37 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 13 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 68 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ruckersville: 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 Ruckersville
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6
- 2000s19
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 1959 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 11 / 4 |
| Sep 30, 1959 | F3 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 25, 1985 | F3 | 2 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 9 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 8 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 2 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 12, 1976 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1965 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1962 | F2 | 25 mi | 22.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1960 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 49, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ruckersville
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Ruckersville since 1974, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on June 4, 2002. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ruckersville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Charlottesville Airport, VA, 7 miles south of Ruckersville at 641 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 30°F. June is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 41.8 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (22.5 of 41.8 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 88 nights a year. That 41.8 inches is more than at 11 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (10%). Stanardsville, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Somerset, VA): 45.1 inches a year, 3.3 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 30 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Feb | 51 | 31 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 3.2 | 7 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 41.8 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Charlottesville Airport, VA (641 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 Ruckersville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 397 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ruckersville: 246 thunderstorm wind reports, 100 floods and 51 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 76 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 23 of 51. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 305 have had fewer than Ruckersville.
May 30, 2018: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Ruckersville — $989,000 damage.
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ruckersville — $100,000 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
Greene County, which includes Ruckersville, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 floods, 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Greene County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $4.7 million a year, the 101st highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.0 million (64%), 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 Ruckersville
- Stanardsville, VA6 mi
- Barboursville, VA6 mi
- Earlysville, VA7 mi
- Madison, VA13 mi
- Zion Crossroads, VA14 mi
- Charlottesville, VA14 mi
- Keswick, VA15 mi
- Elkton, VA17 mi
- Orange, VA18 mi
- Crozet, VA18 mi
- Mcgaheysville, VA21 mi
- Troy, VA21 mi
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