NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Hill, 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
49 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of South Hill, Virginia since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 43
- Tornadoes
- 35
- 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 South Hill
The strongest storm to pass near South Hill was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near South Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 48 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems. Of the 49 systems, 10 have come since 2000. South Hill has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 82% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 35 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 14, 1986; its path came within 23 miles. Of the 35, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2020. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than South Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1995, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 88% have more hail reports within 10 miles than South Hill.
Compare South Hill's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 22 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 4 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 11 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 46 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 11 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 61 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 48 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in South Hill: 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 South Hill
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s7
- 2000s11
- 1990s8
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 17 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1988 | F2 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 2, 1969 | F2 | 21 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 1966 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2017 | EF1 | 5 mi | 14.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 10 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 16.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2008 | EF1 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2005 | F1 | 3 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2005 | F1 | 23 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 14, 2005 | F1 | 3 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in South Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of South Hill since 1995, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on February 24, 2016. The most recent report is from May 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in South Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is John H Kerr Dam, VA, 12 miles southwest of South Hill at 250 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 29°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.6 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 43.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 49 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. That 43.6 inches is more than at 28 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (26%). Kenbridge, 14 miles north, has its own station (Fort Pickett, VA): 46.9 inches a year, 3.3 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 3.2 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 43.6 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at John H Kerr Dam, VA (250 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 South Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 86 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of South Hill: 67 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $159,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 19, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 101 have had fewer than South Hill.
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
Mecklenburg County, which includes South Hill, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 droughts). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mecklenburg County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.0 million a year, the 42nd highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.8 million (45%), 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.