NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit King George, 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
41 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of King George, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 38
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for King George
The strongest storm to pass near King George was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 94 mph winds when its centre crossed the city. The record near King George begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The 1870s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 41 systems, 6 have come since 2000. King George has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 28, 2002; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 3 people. Of the 80, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. King George has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1993, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than King George.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near King George
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 29 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 54 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | overhead | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in King George: 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 King George
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s17
- 2000s32(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s2
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2002 | F4 | 19 mi | 38 mi | 3 / 122 |
| Jan 26, 1978 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 18 mi | 3.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 1994 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 1994 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 7 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2017 | EF1 | 9 mi | 1.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 25, 2017 | EF1 | 22 mi | 8.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 2015 | EF1 | 14 mi | 16.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 2015 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in King George
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of King George since 1993, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 12, 2011. The most recent report is from May 19, 2017. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in King George
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Corbin, VA, 13 miles southwest of King George at 220 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 26°F. September is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 44.8 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 44.8 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 93 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.8 inches is more than at 39 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (36%). Nanjemoy, MD, 10 miles north, has its own station (Quantico Mcas, VA): 40.9 inches a year, 3.9 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 87°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Dahlgren, VA, 8 miles northeast, averaged 85°F in July and 40°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Dahlgren tide gauge, 8 miles from King George, has risen 2.24 ± 0.12 inches per decade from 1972 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 22.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 127 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 3.3 | 7 | 3.6 | 40 |
| Feb | 49 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 5.0 | 42 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.9 | 50 |
| Apr | 68 | 45 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 | 60 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 | 69 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 | 78 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 | 85 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 | 83 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 | 77 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 | 67 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.1 | 55 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 3.6 | 6 | 1.8 | 44 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 44.8 | 72 | 11.5 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Corbin, VA (220 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Dahlgren, 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 King George
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 251 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of King George: 208 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 floods, 18 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 7, 2004. September has had the most flash floods, 7 of 18. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 162 have had fewer than King George.
July 4, 2008: lightning strike in King George — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “King George County Emergency Management reported several lightning-sparked fires, including 2 homes and a business. One person was reportedly struck by lightning through a TV and suffered minor injuries.”
July 24, 1999: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of King George — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were downed, causing structural damage to two homes and one injury when a tree fell on a car. Many trees were down along Highway 17 between Rappahannock Academy and Port Royal.”
May 7, 2004: thunderstorm wind in King George — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Several dwellings were damaged from felled trees and power lines.”
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 King George's ZIP code 22485 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $83,000 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, 26 have fewer than King George.
King George County, which includes King George, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 11, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives King George County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, coastal flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.2 million a year, the 71st highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (42%), 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 King George
- Nanjemoy, MD10 mi
- Colonial Beach, VA11 mi
- Newburg, MD14 mi
- Port Tobacco, MD17 mi
- Bowling Green, VA18 mi
- Quantico, VA18 mi
- Stafford, VA18 mi
- Fredericksburg, VA18 mi
- Woodford, VA20 mi
- La Plata, MD20 mi
- Milford, VA21 mi
- Charlotte Hall, MD22 mi
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