NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Church Road, 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
48 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Church Road, Virginia since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 42
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Church Road
The strongest storm to pass near Church Road was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 17 miles. The record near Church Road begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 63 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 48 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Church Road has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 82% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on August 6, 1993; its path came within 13 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 68, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on November 11, 2022. Church Road has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 70% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 15 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Church Road.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Church Road
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 17 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 55 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 1 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 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | overhead | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 68 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 35 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 32 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 20 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Church Road: 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 Church Road
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s13
- 2000s25
- 1990s6(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13(4 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 1993 | F4 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 4 / 246 |
| May 4, 1990 | F3 | 6 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F3 | 21 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1983 | F3 | 13 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F3 | 22 mi | 35.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 15 mi | 7.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Oct 11, 2018 | EF2 | 11 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 2 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1990 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Church Road
The Storm Prediction Center has 15 hail reports within 10 miles of Church Road since 1985, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 9, 2003. The most recent report is from June 16, 2023. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Church Road
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Petersburg, VA, 16 miles east of Church Road at 19 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. August is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 47.0 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 47.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 48 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. That 47.0 inches is more than at 71 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (65%). Dinwiddie, 11 miles southeast, has its own station (Stony Creek 2 N, VA): 47.6 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 47.0 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Petersburg, VA (19 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 Church Road
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 134 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Church Road: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 heavy rain events, 8 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $522,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on August 5, 2010. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Church Road.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Church Road — $160,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Church Road — $128,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were downed at Whippernock Marina and Campground. Structural damage also occurred.”
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 Church Road's ZIP code 23833 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1993, and were paid $169,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 40% 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, 0 have fewer than Church Road.
Dinwiddie County, which includes Church Road, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Dinwiddie County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.2 million a year, the 77th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.7 million (37%), 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 Church Road
- Sutherland, VA6 mi
- Dinwiddie, VA11 mi
- Chesterfield, VA14 mi
- Petersburg, VA14 mi
- Mc Kenney, VA15 mi
- Colonial Heights, VA15 mi
- Moseley, VA17 mi
- Chester, VA18 mi
- Fort Lee, VA18 mi
- Midlothian, VA18 mi
- Amelia Court House, VA19 mi
- Blackstone, VA20 mi
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