NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Shenandoah, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Shenandoah, Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 37 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 37
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Shenandoah
The strongest storm to pass near Shenandoah was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 27 miles. The record near Shenandoah begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 67% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Shenandoah. The highest rating among the 37 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 25, 1985, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on September 30, 1959, killed 1 person. Of the 37, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Shenandoah. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Shenandoah has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Shenandoah
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 52 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 27 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 65 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 Shenandoah: 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 Shenandoah
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 2000s12
- 1990s4
- 1980s1(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 1959 | F3 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Jul 25, 1985 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 18 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 33.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 9 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 13 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 12, 1976 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1960 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 6 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 19, 2013 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 37, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Shenandoah
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Shenandoah since 1967, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 3, 2009. The most recent report is from May 30, 2025. June has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Shenandoah
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dale Enterprise, VA, 17 miles west of Shenandoah at 1,358 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. July is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 38.9 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (20.6 of 38.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 123 nights a year. Snowfall averages 19.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 38.9 inches is more than at 1 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (1%). Stanley, 8 miles northeast, has its own station (Luray 5 E, VA): 44.3 inches a year, 5.4 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 2.7 | 6 | 4.2 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 2.2 | 5 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 54 | 30 | 3.2 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 43 | 2.5 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 46 | 26 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Year | 65 | 42 | 38.9 | 77 | 19.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dale Enterprise, VA (1,358 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 Shenandoah
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 167 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Shenandoah: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 floods and 19 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 22, 2026. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 19. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Shenandoah.
June 22, 2026: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Shenandoah — $1.0 million damage.
August 25, 2007: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Shenandoah — $175,000 damage.
August 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Shenandoah — $120,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Shenandoah's ZIP code 22849 have filed 34 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1985, and were paid $746,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Fran in 1996: 21 claims (62% of all) and $524,000. 94% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 80 have fewer than Shenandoah.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 21 | $524,000 |
Page County, which includes Shenandoah, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 5 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Page County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 55th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 million (68%), 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 Shenandoah
- Elkton, VA6 mi
- Stanley, VA8 mi
- Mcgaheysville, VA10 mi
- New Market, VA11 mi
- Timberville, VA13 mi
- Broadway, VA13 mi
- Harrisonburg, VA14 mi
- Luray, VA15 mi
- Stanardsville, VA16 mi
- Mount Crawford, VA18 mi
- Madison, VA19 mi
- Mount Jackson, VA19 mi
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