NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Powhatan, 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 Powhatan, Virginia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 55 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 37
- Tornadoes
- 55
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Powhatan
The strongest storm to pass near Powhatan was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 97 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Powhatan begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 41 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Powhatan has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 55 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 4, 1990, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on September 17, 2018, killed 1 person. Of the 55, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2022. Powhatan has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 60% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1978, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Powhatan.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Powhatan
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | overhead | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 19 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 43 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 44 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 Powhatan: 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 Powhatan
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s16
- 2000s16
- 1990s3(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10
- 1970s2(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1990 | F3 | 17 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1977 | F3 | 9 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 18 mi | 7.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 8, 1962 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Oct 11, 2018 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1984 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1970 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1951 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 16, 2022 | EF1 | 8 mi | 21.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF1 | 18 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF1 | 14 mi | 8.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 55, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Powhatan
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Powhatan since 1978, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 25, 2015. The most recent report is from April 15, 2024. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Powhatan
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Crozier, VA, 8 miles north of Powhatan at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. September is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.9 inches over 75 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 44.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 41 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 107 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.9 inches is more than at 41 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (38%). Moseley, 11 miles southeast, has its own station (Amelia Courthouse, VA): 45.4 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 3.3 | 6 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 44.9 | 75 | 10.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Crozier, VA (350 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 Powhatan
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 176 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Powhatan: 136 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 heavy rain events, 7 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $508,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on August 9, 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 30 have had fewer than Powhatan.
May 4, 2021: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Powhatan — 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Powhatan — $105,000 damage.
NWS: “Multiple trees were downed at the intersection of Route 522 and Route 711. 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
Powhatan County, which includes Powhatan, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Powhatan County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, 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 $9.6 million a year, the 54th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 million (46%), 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 Powhatan
- Goochland, VA11 mi
- Manakin Sabot, VA11 mi
- Moseley, VA11 mi
- Maidens, VA12 mi
- Amelia Court House, VA15 mi
- Midlothian, VA15 mi
- Rockville, VA16 mi
- Cumberland, VA20 mi
- Chesterfield, VA21 mi
- Jetersville, VA21 mi
- Montpelier, VA21 mi
- Glen Allen, VA22 mi
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