NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Charles City, 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
58 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Charles City, Virginia since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 7
- Tropical storms
- 51
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Charles City
The strongest storm to pass near Charles City was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 1 mile away. The record near Charles City begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 13 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems. Of the 58 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Charles City has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on August 6, 1993; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 78, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on March 5, 2025. Charles City has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Charles City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Charles City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 30 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 66 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1983 | DeanSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 27 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 47 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 21 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 68 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 66 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 1 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 12 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 68 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 Charles City: 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 Charles City
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s15(1 EF3+)
- 2000s22
- 1990s15(3 EF3+)
- 1980s10(3 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 1993 | F4 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 4 / 246 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 26.47 mi | 2 / 24 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 4, 1990 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F3 | 7 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 8 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F3 | 19 mi | 35.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 2 mi | 3.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 23 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1990 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Charles City
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Charles City since 1976, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on May 8, 1998. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Charles City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hopewell, VA, 12 miles west of Charles City at 40 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 31°F. August is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.1 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (27.7 of 50.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 58 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 5.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 55 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.1 inches is more than at 95 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (87%). Providence Forge, 7 miles north, has its own station (W Pt 2 NW, VA): 48.1 inches a year, 2.0 less than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.1 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 3.0 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 62 | 40 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 50.1 | 78 | 3.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hopewell, VA (40 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 Charles City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 162 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Charles City: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 heavy rain events, 21 flash floods and 12 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $207,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 60 mph, on August 12, 2010. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 21. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 194 have had fewer than Charles City.
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
Charles City County, which includes Charles City, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 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 Charles City County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Very 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 $3.4 million a year, the 117th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $935,000 (28%), 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 Charles City
- Providence Forge, VA7 mi
- Lanexa, VA11 mi
- Spring Grove, VA12 mi
- Quinton, VA12 mi
- Hopewell, VA13 mi
- New Kent, VA14 mi
- Prince George, VA15 mi
- Toano, VA15 mi
- Fort Lee, VA17 mi
- Sandston, VA17 mi
- Disputanta, VA17 mi
- Chester, VA19 mi
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