NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Virginia, IL
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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Virginia, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1902. Since 1950, 107 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 107
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Virginia
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Virginia; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1902, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. Of the 548 Illinois cities on this site, 57% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Virginia. The highest rating among the 107 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 31, 2010, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on May 24, 2004, killed 1 person. Of the 107, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Virginia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1966, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Virginia.
Compare Virginia's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Virginia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Virginia: 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 Virginia
By decade
- 2020s24
- 2010s16(1 EF3+)
- 2000s10
- 1990s25
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s11(3 EF3+)
- 1950s10
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 1981 | F3 | 22 mi | 8.8 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Jan 24, 1967 | F3 | 12 mi | 5.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 22, 1963 | F3 | 20 mi | 42.9 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 19 mi | 3.63 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 24, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 64.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | EF2 | 6 mi | 6.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 4.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 2 mi | 12.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 2009 | EF2 | 25 mi | 19.15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F2 | 23 mi | 67 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 24, 2004 | F2 | 16 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 10, 2003 | F2 | 24 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 107, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Virginia
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Virginia since 1966, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on May 5, 1977. The most recent report is from October 24, 2021. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Virginia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jacksonville 2E, IL, 15 miles south of Virginia at 610 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 39.3 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 28 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 128 nights a year. Snowfall averages 16.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.3 inches is more than at 63 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (43%). Beardstown, 12 miles west, has its own station (Rushville, IL): 40.9 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 18 | 1.9 | 4 | 5.1 |
| Feb | 41 | 21 | 1.7 | 4 | 4.3 |
| Mar | 52 | 30 | 2.8 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.3 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 3.0 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 41 | 23 | 2.0 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Year | 64 | 42 | 39.3 | 69 | 16.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jacksonville 2E, IL (610 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 Virginia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 49 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Virginia: 40 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $703,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on April 20, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 8. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 90 have had fewer than Virginia.
April 20, 2000: thunderstorm wind in Virginia — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “As a severe thunderstorm moved east across Cass County, numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles, and power lines were blown down. One mile southeast of Virginia more significant damage occurred to a house.”
June 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Virginia — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees and power lines were blown down in Literberry. In addition, the walls of a mobile home were blown out and numerous other houses experienced minor roof and siding damage.”
July 24, 2010: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Virginia — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “00 per hour, resulted in flash flooding in much of western Morgan County. 00 caused the flooding of numerous roads and creeks.”
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
Cass County, which includes Virginia, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cass County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.2 million a year, the 68th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (27%), 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 Virginia
- Beardstown, IL12 mi
- Jacksonville, IL15 mi
- Pleasant Plains, IL19 mi
- Petersburg, IL20 mi
- Rushville, IL22 mi
- New Berlin, IL23 mi
- Havana, IL25 mi
- Winchester, IL26 mi
- Athens, IL28 mi
- Mt Sterling, IL28 mi
- Waverly, IL29 mi
- Lewistown, IL31 mi
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