NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Staunton, 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 Staunton, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 20
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Staunton
The strongest storm to pass near Staunton was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 18 miles. The record near Staunton begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Staunton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 4, 1990, came within 14 miles. Of the 20, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Staunton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1989, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Staunton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Staunton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 71 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 49 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 25 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 Staunton: 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 Staunton
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s3
- 1990s3
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1990 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1963 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F2 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 26, 2022 | EF1 | 6 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 7 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2000 | F1 | 25 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1999 | F1 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1995 | F1 | 9 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 1979 | F1 | 21 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Staunton
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Staunton since 1989, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on August 7, 2023, the most recent report. August has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Staunton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Staunton Wtp, VA, 2 miles north of Staunton at 169 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 25°F. July and September are the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (21.7 of 40.8 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 106 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 40.8 inches is more than at 9 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (8%). Fishersville, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (Waynesboro Wtp, VA): 45.4 inches a year, 4.6 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 2.9 | 6 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 2.4 | 5 | 6.8 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 36 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 | 4.8 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 40.8 | 76 | 21.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Staunton Wtp, VA (169 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 Staunton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 216 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Staunton: 152 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 floods and 17 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on July 6, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 17. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 153 have had fewer than Staunton.
July 6, 2022: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Staunton — $1.2 million damage.
NWS: “Hundreds of trees blew down around the City of Staunton. Although most of the damage was consistent with wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph, there was one spot in the unit block of Morris Mill Road that had significantly more severe damage.”
March 23, 2026: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Staunton — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “A significant localized wind gust affected the Jolivue area just south of the City of Staunton. Shingles were peeled off the roof of a home in the unit block of Chesnut Road.”
June 22, 2006: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Staunton — $125,000 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 Staunton's ZIP code 24401 have filed 62 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $938,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Fran in 1996: 15 claims (24% of all) and $267,000. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 18. 35% 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, 110 have fewer than Staunton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 15 | $267,000 |
Staunton city, which includes Staunton, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Staunton City 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 $5.3 million a year, the 94th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (71%), 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 Staunton
- Verona, VA6 mi
- Fishersville, VA6 mi
- Churchville, VA9 mi
- Stuarts Draft, VA9 mi
- Mount Sidney, VA10 mi
- Waynesboro, VA11 mi
- Greenville, VA11 mi
- Crimora, VA13 mi
- Weyers Cave, VA13 mi
- Mount Solon, VA13 mi
- Grottoes, VA16 mi
- Craigsville, VA16 mi
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