NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Richmond, 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
47 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Richmond, Virginia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 43
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Richmond
The strongest storm to pass near Richmond was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 97 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 21 miles. The record near Richmond begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 40 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 47 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Richmond has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on August 6, 1993; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 88, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2022. Richmond has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 150 times since 1969, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Richmond has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Richmond
Of the 47 tracks on the map, 30 were moving northeast as they passed Richmond, 13 north and 3 east. The unnamed 1878 storm, the strongest pass, was heading north; its centre passed 21 miles east of Richmond. None made landfall within 75 miles of Richmond; 40 of the 47 were hurricanes at their peak, 4 at their closest to the city. In the last 30 seasons (1996–2025), 11 came near Richmond: 3.7 a decade, against 2.5 a decade from 1851 to 1995.
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 30 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 21 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 74 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 41 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 21 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 33 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 Richmond: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Richmond
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s18
- 2000s32
- 1990s9(4 EF3+)
- 1980s12(2 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 1993 | F4 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 4 / 246 |
| Apr 1, 1998 | F3 | 21 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 4, 1990 | F3 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 8, 1984 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1977 | F3 | 23 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 6 mi | 7.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 8, 1962 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 1, 1998 | F2 | 21 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 22 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1990 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Richmond
The Storm Prediction Center has 150 hail reports within 10 miles of Richmond since 1969, made on 68 separate days. Of these, 109 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 5, 2004. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Richmond
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ashland Hanover Co Municipal Airport, VA, 10 miles north of Richmond at 205 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 28°F. August is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.8 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (24.1 of 45.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 47 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 88 nights a year. That 45.8 inches is more than at 55 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (50%). North Chesterfield, 7 miles south, has its own station (Richmond International Airport, VA): 45.5 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 28 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 45.8 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ashland Hanover Co Municipal Airport, VA (205 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 Richmond
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 738 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Richmond: 418 thunderstorm wind reports, 196 flash floods, 95 heavy rain events, 16 lightning strikes and 13 floods. They killed 3 people and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 25, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 65 of 196. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 358 have had fewer than Richmond.
May 5, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Richmond — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
June 13, 2013: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Richmond — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “Winds gusts up to 60 mph (52 knots) downed several trees throughout the City of Richmond. Trees were blocking the right lane of Chippenham Parkway East and additional trees were downed on Chippenham near Forest Hill Avenue.”
August 18, 2024: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Richmond — 1 killed, $4,000 damage.
NWS: “Law enforcement reported that a tree fell on a car, resulting in a fatality. This was confirmed by broadcast media from Henrico Police and Fire.”
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 Richmond's 17 ZIP codes have filed 790 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $14.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 290 claims (37% of all) and $7.4 million, then Hurricane Isabel in 2003 with 22 and Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 15. 47% 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, 170 have fewer than Richmond.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 290 | $7.4 million |
| Hurricane Isabel2003 | 22 | $203,000 |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 15 | $235,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ernesto2006 | 12 | $168,000 |
Richmond city, which includes Richmond, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Richmond City a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $39.2 million a year, the 10th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.9 million (56%), 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 Richmond
- North Chesterfield, VA7 mi
- Glen Allen, VA7 mi
- Mechanicsville, VA10 mi
- Highland Springs, VA10 mi
- Midlothian, VA11 mi
- Sandston, VA12 mi
- Ashland, VA13 mi
- Manakin Sabot, VA13 mi
- Chesterfield, VA14 mi
- Rockville, VA15 mi
- Hanover, VA15 mi
- Chester, VA16 mi
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