Danville city, Virginia Tropical Cyclone History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Danville city, Virginia as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1859, 23 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Danville city, Virginia — about one every 7.3 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Zeta (2020), which passed 42 miles away on 29 October 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

7.3

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 1 · 1TS / TD · 22

The 23 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentZeta (2020) — 42 mi away, 29 October 2020
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 68 kt (78 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordJeanne (2004) — 9.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles9 of 23
Peak monthSeptember — 11 storms (48% of all)
Most active year1985 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1859–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Danville city, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 11 of the 23 recorded storms (48%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 87% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 0 of the 23 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	2	1	6	11	3	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 7 storms in 1950–1987 against 5 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	0	1	4	2	0	1	0	0	2	2	2	1	2	2	1	1	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Zeta (2020)	29 Oct 2020	42.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Michael (2018)	11 Oct 2018	48.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Jeanne (2004)	28 Sep 2004	9.7 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Dennis (1999)	5 Sep 1999	26.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Fran (1996)	6 Sep 1996	24.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Danny (1985)	18 Aug 1985	22.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Bob (1985)	25 Jul 1985	38.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
David (1979)	5 Sep 1979	27.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Abby (1968)	9 Jun 1968	45.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Cleo (1964)	31 Aug 1964	38.1 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Diane (1955)	18 Aug 1955	39.4 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Able (1952)	1 Sep 1952	23.9 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	29 Aug 1949	43.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	18 Sep 1945	37.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	3 Aug 1915	21.6 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1896)	30 Sep 1896	25.0 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	29 Aug 1893	18.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	24 Sep 1889	49.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	22 Jun 1886	19.8 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	13 Oct 1885	30.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Sep 1882	28.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	13 Sep 1878	22.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	38.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 8 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Debby (2024)	Post-tropical	9 Aug 2024	23.0 mi	30 kt
Cindy (2005)	Post-tropical	8 Jul 2005	47.0 mi	20 kt
Bill (2003)	Post-tropical	2 Jul 2003	49.1 mi	20 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	29 Aug 1988	35.1 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	Post-tropical	11 Aug 1928	4.2 mi	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	Post-tropical	31 Aug 1911	40.6 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	Post-tropical	23 Sep 1907	18.4 mi	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1902)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 1902	20.7 mi	35 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1859–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Danville city, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Danville city, Virginia ranks #700 — more exposed than 68.3% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #50 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 25 miles away on 30 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 18 miles away on 29 August 1893 as a tropical storm, reaching 62 kt (71 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 23 miles away on 13 September 1878 as a tropical storm, reaching 51 kt (59 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Diane (1955) passed 39 miles away on 18 August 1955 as a tropical storm, reaching 50 kt (58 mph) while within 50 miles.

22 of the 23 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 7.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 23 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 30 years, between 1915 and 1945. It has been 5 years since the last one; 8 of the 21 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Danville city, Virginia?

1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Danville city, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 23.

When was the last hurricane in Danville city, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1896), on 30 September 1896, passing 25 miles away — 130 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Zeta (2020) in 2020.

What was the strongest storm to affect Danville city, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 25 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Danville city, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 7.3 years — 23 storms over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Danville city, Virginia borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Caswell County, North Carolina has 26 on record.

Caswell County, North Carolina26 storms within 50 mi Rockingham County, North Carolina24 storms within 50 mi Pittsylvania County, Virginia20 storms within 50 mi Martinsville city, Virginia19 storms within 50 mi