NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lawrenceville, 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
49 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lawrenceville, Virginia since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 46 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 43
- Tornadoes
- 46
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lawrenceville
The strongest storm to pass near Lawrenceville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Isabel in 2003, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Lawrenceville begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 34 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems. Of the 49 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Lawrenceville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 82% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 46 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on October 14, 1986, came within 5 miles. Of the 46, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on November 11, 2022. Lawrenceville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 16 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lawrenceville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lawrenceville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 5 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 16 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 66 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 31 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 42 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 28 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 58 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 Lawrenceville: 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 Lawrenceville
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s10
- 2000s13
- 1990s8
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1986 | F3 | 5 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F3 | 17 mi | 35.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 24 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 15, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 1969 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 1966 | F2 | 12 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1953 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 20 mi | 8.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 19 mi | 15.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2017 | EF1 | 17 mi | 2.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF1 | 24 mi | 7.01 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 46, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lawrenceville
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Lawrenceville since 1982, made on 15 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 4, 1993. The most recent report is from July 18, 2024. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lawrenceville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Emporia 1 WNW, VA, 14 miles east of Lawrenceville at 100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 29°F. August is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 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 (25.6 of 46.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 49 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 83 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.4 inches is more than at 59 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (54%). Brodnax, 10 miles west, has its own station (John H Kerr Dam, VA): 43.6 inches a year, 2.8 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 2.6 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 46.4 | 78 | 1.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Emporia 1 WNW, VA (100 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 Lawrenceville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 111 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lawrenceville: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 13 heavy rain events and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $198,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 60 mph, on May 2, 2002. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 19. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Lawrenceville.
May 2, 2004: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Lawrenceville — 4 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Mobile home knocked over. Minor injuries.”
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
Brunswick County, which includes Lawrenceville, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 droughts). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brunswick County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.1 million a year, the 78th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.6 million (36%), 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 Lawrenceville
- Brodnax, VA10 mi
- Emporia, VA14 mi
- La Crosse, VA15 mi
- Gaston, NC17 mi
- Mc Kenney, VA19 mi
- Littleton, NC19 mi
- Jarratt, VA20 mi
- South Hill, VA20 mi
- Bracey, VA20 mi
- Roanoke Rapids, NC20 mi
- Kenbridge, VA22 mi
- Garysburg, NC22 mi
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