Official National Weather Service records of tornadoes started in 1950 but we know the United States has had thousands of tornadoes before the start of official records. Through newspaper reports, we do have a few tornadoes locally that have happened before 1950. It can be hard to decipher if damage was straight-line or an actual tornado before official records started but sometimes with the description of the damage it can lead to a conclusion that it most likely was a tornado.

This page is sorted by county in Virginia. West Virginia is below the Virginia counties:

AUGUSTA COUNTY

TOWN/AREA	DATE	RATING
Mt. Sidney- possible tornado	5-31-1858	Unknown
Staunton- possible tornado or derecho	6-4-1911	Unknown
Mint Spring	9-22-1921	Unknown
Waynesboro	6-6-1925	Unknown
Grottoes/Harriston	4-5-1952	F-2
Waynesboro	7-1-1959	F-2
Stuarts Draft	11-29-1963	F-2
West View to Fort Defiance/Mt. Sidney	4-4-1974	F-1
Waynesboro	6-5-1975	F-0
Augusta Springs to Swoope	5-4-1990	F-2
Waynesboro	6-10-1995	F-1
5 miles ESE of Staunton	7-31-1999	F-1
Verona	5-9-2003	F-0
Stuarts Draft	4-16-2011	EF-0
Buffalo Gap to Churchville	4-28-2011	EF-1
Harriston	8-6-2020	EF-0
Fishersville to Waynesboro	4-26-2022	EF-1

Past tornado coverage from WHSV (Augusta)

Fishersville-Waynesboro: April 26, 2022

Several videos from the April 2022 tornado

Harriston tornado, August 2020

Confirmed tornado in Harriston

This is the rotating supercell that may have produced a tornado over Harriston

Verona: May 9, 2003

Archived story from 2003

Augusta Springs-Swoope: May 4, 1990

The only deadly tornado in our local area

1974 Augusta County destruction, 15 mile path

Damage after the tornado. Large beams driven into the ground.

HIGHLAND COUNTY

TOWN	DATE	RATING
South of Mustoe	5-28-1959	no rating

Details of the 1959 Highland County tornado

PAGE COUNTY

TOWN	DATE	RATING
Stanley	9-27-1993	F-1
Stanley	6-23-2009	EF-1

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY

Only 3 in recorded history, since 1950(whsv)

Past tornado coverage from WHSV (Rockbridge)

Fairfield Tornado: May 6, 2022

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

Tornadoes from Rockingham County

TOWN/AREA	DATE	RATING

Linville	4-23-1866	Unknown
Port Republic	6-25-1881	Unknown
Harrisonburg	8-5-1892	Unknown

Broadway to Mayland	11-28-1900	Unknown
McGaheysville	4-5-1952	F2
Naked Creek (north Elkton)	8-6-1960	F2
Melrose (north of Harrisonburg)	8-15-1975	F1
Dayton	10-2-1979	F1
Broadway	6-24-1996	F1
Elkton	8-2-2008	EF-0
Fulks Run to Shenandoah Co	4-28-2011	EF-2
Linville	4-28-2011	EF-1
Pleasant Valley/Keezletown	4-28-2011	EF-1
Timberville	10-31-2019	EF-0

Past tornado coverage from WHSV (Rockingham)

Linville and Keezletown tornadoes

April 28, 2011

Tornado outbreak at the end of April, 2011

Timberville Tornado

From Halloween night, 2019

A 2x6 beam was sent crashing into the windshield of this unoccupied vehicle during the tornado.

SHENANDOAH COUNTY

TOWN	DATE	RATING
Mt. Jackson	7-2-1925	unknown
Wheatfield	6-18-1997	F-1
Bowman	8-9-2000	F-0
Quicksburg	4-28-2002	F-2
Orkney Springs	4-28-2011	EF-2
Strasburg	4-28-2011	EF-0

Past tornado coverage from Shenandoah County

Shenandoah Co Tornado- 2011: Orkney Springs area

From the April 28 tornado - Shenandoah County

Shenandoah Co. Tornado- 2002: Quicksburg/Mt. Jackson

This tornado was from Shenandoah County in 2002

Mount Jackson- 1925

WEST VIRGINIA

Hardy County is the only county in our viewing area with no tornado in recorded history (since 1950). Here’s a look below at the few tornadoes in Grant and Hardy County.