NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Stuart, 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 Stuart, Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 28 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 28
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Stuart
The strongest storm to pass near Stuart was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Stuart begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 12 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 74% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Stuart. The highest rating among the 28 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 19, 2019, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 20, 1998, killed 2 people. Of the 28, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on March 23, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Stuart. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 88 times since 1957, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Stuart has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Stuart
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 67 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Stuart: 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 Stuart
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 23 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 27 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF3 | 24 mi | 8.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 14 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 17 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Aug 17, 1994 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F2 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 14 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 2.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 2010 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.93 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 28, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Stuart
The Storm Prediction Center has 88 hail reports within 10 miles of Stuart since 1957, made on 70 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently June 30, 2012. The most recent report is from May 16, 2023. May has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Stuart
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Stuart, VA, 2 miles southwest of Stuart at 1,375 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 52.5 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (27.9 of 52.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 5.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 23 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 97 nights a year. Snowfall averages 6.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.5 inches is more than at 105 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (96%). Westfield, NC, 14 miles southwest, has its own station (Danbury, NC): 47.6 inches a year, 4.9 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 25 | 4.1 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Feb | 52 | 27 | 3.2 | 6 | 2.1 |
| Mar | 59 | 33 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 44 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 34 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 28 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.7 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 52.5 | 85 | 6.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Stuart, VA (1,375 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 Stuart
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 188 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Stuart: 135 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 flash floods, 18 heavy rain events, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 30, 2003. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 28. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 238 have had fewer than Stuart.
September 17, 2018: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Stuart — $466,000 damage.
May 20, 2020: heavy rain event 8 miles from the centre of Stuart — $464,000 damage.
NWS: “52 inches for the 24-hour period ending 700 AM EST on May 21st. 61 inches on May 12, 1961.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Stuart — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew hundreds of trees down across the county. Many of these trees brought down power lines as they fell.”
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 Stuart's ZIP code 24171 have filed 37 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $720,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1985, with 15. 11% 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, 83 have fewer than Stuart.
Patrick County, which includes Stuart, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Patrick County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.4 million a year, the 82nd highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (70%), 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 Stuart
- Patrick Springs, VA6 mi
- Westfield, NC14 mi
- Sandy Ridge, NC14 mi
- Bassett, VA15 mi
- Fieldale, VA16 mi
- Ararat, VA16 mi
- Floyd, VA18 mi
- Collinsville, VA19 mi
- Ferrum, VA19 mi
- Ridgeway, VA21 mi
- Martinsville, VA21 mi
- Willis, VA21 mi
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