NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Midlothian, 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
46 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Midlothian, Virginia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 42
- Tornadoes
- 81
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Midlothian
The strongest storm to pass near Midlothian was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 15 miles. The record near Midlothian begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 41 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 46 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Midlothian has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 81 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on August 6, 1993; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 81, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2022. Midlothian has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1962, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Midlothian has more hail reports within 10 miles than 76% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Midlothian
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 15 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 67 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 34 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 30 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Midlothian: 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 Midlothian
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s19
- 2000s26
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13(2 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 1993 | F4 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 4 / 246 |
| May 4, 1990 | F3 | 12 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1977 | F3 | 21 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 3 mi | 7.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 8, 1962 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Oct 11, 2018 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 17 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1990 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1984 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Midlothian
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Midlothian since 1962, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on August 18, 2024. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Midlothian
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Richmond International Airport, VA, 18 miles east of Midlothian at 164 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 29°F. August is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 45.5 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (25.0 of 45.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 46 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 45 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 8.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.5 inches is more than at 49 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (45%). Chesterfield, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (Petersburg, VA): 47.0 inches a year, 1.5 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 29 | 3.2 | 6 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 52 | 30 | 2.6 | 6 | 2.2 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 3.5 | 6 | 1.8 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 45.5 | 75 | 8.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Richmond International Airport, VA (164 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 Midlothian
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 347 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Midlothian: 221 thunderstorm wind reports, 69 flash floods, 41 heavy rain events, 9 lightning strikes and 7 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on December 7, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 31 of 69. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 323 have had fewer than Midlothian.
June 13, 2013: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Midlothian — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
August 18, 2024: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Midlothian — 1 killed, $4,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Midlothian — $300,000 damage.
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 Midlothian's 2 ZIP codes have filed 57 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $394,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 17 claims (30% of all) and $166,000. 58% 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, 104 have fewer than Midlothian.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 17 | $166,000 |
Chesterfield County, which includes Midlothian, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chesterfield County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $78.8 million a year, the 2nd highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $52.9 million (67%), 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 Midlothian
- Chesterfield, VA6 mi
- North Chesterfield, VA7 mi
- Moseley, VA8 mi
- Richmond, VA11 mi
- Manakin Sabot, VA13 mi
- Chester, VA15 mi
- Powhatan, VA15 mi
- Glen Allen, VA16 mi
- Church Road, VA18 mi
- Rockville, VA18 mi
- Highland Springs, VA19 mi
- Colonial Heights, VA19 mi
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