NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cape Charles, 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 Cape Charles, Virginia since 1851, 17 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 19 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 17
- Tropical storms
- 67
- Tornadoes
- 19
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Cape Charles
The strongest storm to pass near Cape Charles was an unnamed storm in 1944, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1924, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Cape Charles begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems. Of the 84 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Cape Charles has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 98% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 19 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 30, 2023; its path came within 23 miles. Of the 19, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 5. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cape Charles. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1995, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cape Charles.
Compare Cape Charles's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cape Charles
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 10 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 28 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 15 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 24 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 25 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 18 | 33 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 57 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1983 | DeanSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 52 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 20 | 48 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 11 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 37 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 14 | 71 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormSep 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormSep 18 | 65 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 31 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 3 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 7 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 65 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 25 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 29 | 55 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 12 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 28 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 62 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 73 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 53 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 Cape Charles: 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 Cape Charles
By decade
- 2020s1(1 EF3+)
- 2010s7
- 2000s3
- 1990s4
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2023 | EF3 | 23 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1969 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2014 | EF1 | 2 mi | 7.69 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 1, 2012 | EF1 | 25 mi | 3.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2008 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F1 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F1 | 9 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 30, 1989 | F1 | 18 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1974 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF0 | 24 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2014 | EF0 | 21 mi | 1.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 2012 | EF0 | 4 mi | 0.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 19, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cape Charles
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Cape Charles since 1995, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 24, 2014. The most recent report is from May 22, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 7 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cape Charles
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cape Charles 5 ENE, VA, 3 miles northeast of Cape Charles at 29 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 32°F. July is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 44.5 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.3 of 44.5 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 78°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 44.5 inches is more than at 38 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (35%). Exmore, 19 miles north, has its own station (Painter 2 W, VA): 47.4 inches a year, 2.9 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 85°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Kiptopeke, VA, 7 miles south, averaged 80°F in July and 44°F in January and February over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July. Sea level at the Kiptopeke tide gauge, 7 miles from Cape Charles, has risen 1.58 ± 0.06 inches per decade from 1951 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 15.8 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 95 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 32 | 3.4 | 6 | 44 |
| Feb | 49 | 33 | 2.9 | 6 | 44 |
| Mar | 55 | 39 | 3.5 | 6 | 50 |
| Apr | 65 | 48 | 3.4 | 6 | 58 |
| May | 72 | 58 | 3.5 | 6 | 67 |
| Jun | 81 | 66 | 3.8 | 7 | 76 |
| Jul | 85 | 71 | 4.7 | 6 | 80 |
| Aug | 83 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 | 79 |
| Sep | 78 | 64 | 4.2 | 5 | 77 |
| Oct | 69 | 53 | 4.4 | 6 | 68 |
| Nov | 59 | 43 | 3.1 | 6 | 58 |
| Dec | 51 | 36 | 3.5 | 6 | 48 |
| Year | 66 | 51 | 44.5 | 71 | 62 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cape Charles 5 ENE, VA (29 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Kiptopeke, 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 Cape Charles
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 49 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cape Charles: 27 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 heavy rain events, 3 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 3 people and injured 32, and the NWS estimated $819,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 24, 2014.
July 24, 2014: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Cape Charles — 3 killed, 31 injured, $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Downburst straight line wind damage occurred from the southern portions of Cherrystone Campground southward into Cape Charles, then eastward through Cheriton to Oyster.”
August 2, 2024: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Cape Charles — 1 injured, $1,000 damage.
NWS: “Strong outflow winds resulted in an awning breaking free from a camper and striking a woman in the head.”
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 Cape Charles's ZIP code 23310 have filed 27 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1985, and were paid $365,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 81% 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, 59 have fewer than Cape Charles.
Northampton County, which includes Cape Charles, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 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 Northampton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Relatively Low for hail and coastal flooding; Very Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.4 million a year, the 56th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.7 million (49%), is from hurricanes.
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 Cape Charles
- Exmore, VA19 mi
- Mathews, VA22 mi
- Poquoson, VA24 mi
- Painter, VA24 mi
- Seaford, VA25 mi
- Hampton, VA27 mi
- Hayes, VA28 mi
- Yorktown, VA28 mi
- Melfa, VA29 mi
- Norfolk, VA30 mi
- Virginia Beach, VA31 mi
- Newport News, VA31 mi
All Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Cape Charles with another place →