NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Windsor, 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
84 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Windsor, Virginia since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 72 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 70
- Tornadoes
- 72
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Windsor
The strongest storm to pass near Windsor was an unnamed storm in 1879, a Category 2 hurricane with 107 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 18 miles. The record near Windsor begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 9 systems. Of the 84 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Windsor has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 93% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 72 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 16, 2011, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on February 24, 2016, killed 3 people. Of the 72, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2023. Windsor has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 75% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Windsor.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Windsor
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 56 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 30 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 50 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 33 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 25 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 18 | 56 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | DeanSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 69 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 20 | 53 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 33 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 73 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 59 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 21 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 68 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 56 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 18 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 31 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 14 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 51 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 Windsor: 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 Windsor
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14
- 1980s3
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 26.47 mi | 2 / 24 |
| Apr 28, 2008 | EF3 | 8 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 200 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F3 | 20 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F3 | 23 mi | 35.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 4, 1967 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 30, 1981 | F2 | 17 mi | 21.9 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 18 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 2 mi | 22.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 28, 1988 | F2 | 2 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 24 mi | 8.86 mi | 3 / 8 |
| Dec 24, 2020 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 2020 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 72, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Windsor
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Windsor since 1974, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 30, 1995. The most recent report is from April 26, 2022. May and June have the most reports, 9 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Windsor
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Suffolk Lake Kilby, VA, 10 miles southeast of Windsor at 22 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 31°F. August and September are the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (30.0 of 52.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 84 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (34); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 5.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 52.1 inches is more than at 103 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (94%). Zuni, 6 miles west, has its own station (Holland 1 E, VA): 48.0 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Sewells Point, VA, 24 miles east, averaged 81°F in July and 44°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Sewells Point tide gauge, 24 miles from Windsor, has risen 1.90 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1927 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 19.0 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 115 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 31 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.1 | 44 |
| Feb | 52 | 33 | 3.0 | 6 | 1.5 | 44 |
| Mar | 59 | 39 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.3 | 51 |
| Apr | 69 | 48 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 | 60 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Jun | 83 | 65 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Jul | 87 | 70 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 | 81 |
| Aug | 85 | 69 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.0 | 80 |
| Sep | 80 | 63 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.0 | 77 |
| Oct | 71 | 52 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 | 58 |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.9 | 48 |
| Year | 69 | 50 | 52.1 | 80 | 5.8 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Suffolk Lake Kilby, VA (22 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Sewells Point, VA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Windsor
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 163 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Windsor: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 heavy rain events, 19 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $6.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 72 mph, on June 22, 2018. September has had the most flash floods, 9 of 19. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Windsor.
August 8, 2024: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Windsor — 2 injured, $10,000 damage.
July 17, 2009: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Windsor — 1 injured.
October 7, 2006: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Windsor — $3.1 million damage.
NWS: “including HWY 258 and parts of HWY 460 near Windsor. High water also resulted in major crop 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
Isle of Wight County, which includes Windsor, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Isle of Wight County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and coastal flooding; 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 $15.0 million a year, the 36th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.5 million (36%), 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 Windsor
- Zuni, VA6 mi
- Suffolk, VA10 mi
- Smithfield, VA12 mi
- Carrollton, VA13 mi
- Franklin, VA16 mi
- Wakefield, VA16 mi
- Courtland, VA20 mi
- Portsmouth, VA21 mi
- Newport News, VA22 mi
- Gates, NC23 mi
- Fort Eustis, VA23 mi
- Waverly, VA24 mi
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