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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sutherland, 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

48 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sutherland, Virginia since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
6

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
42

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
73

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
7

5 deaths in all

What the records show for Sutherland

The strongest storm to pass near Sutherland was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1876, whose centre came within 15 miles. The record near Sutherland begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 62 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems. Of the 48 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Sutherland has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 82% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on August 6, 1993; its path came within 8 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 73, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on November 11, 2022. Sutherland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1977, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sutherland.

Compare Sutherland's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sutherland

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Sutherland, Virginia, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2023OpheliaSep 2362 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2021ElsaJul 925 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2020ZetaOct 2951 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
2020IsaiasAug 427 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2043 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1242 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 5
2013AndreaJun 747 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 622 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 132 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2004GastonAug 3153 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
2003IsabelSep 1922 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 5
1997DannyJul 2471 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1996BerthaJul 1342 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1970AlmaMay 2657 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1960BrendaJul 3059 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1057 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1955DianeAug 1865 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1954HazelOct 1523 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1823 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2031 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 212 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 652 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 5
1933Unnamed 1933 stormAug 2350 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 26 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1911 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1216 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3064 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1656 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 473 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1528 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1234 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1612 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 315 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 2
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 3074 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 1340 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2431 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 119 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 225 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1348 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1883Unnamed 1883 stormSep 1215 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 117 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormSep 1073 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2326 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 420 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1715 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2940 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2549 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1713 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sutherland: 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 Sutherland

By decade

  • 2020s1
  • 2010s16
  • 2000s23
  • 1990s7(2 EF3+)
  • 1980s12(4 EF3+)
  • 1970s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s4
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Sutherland, Virginia
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 6, 1993F48 mi1 mi4 / 246
May 4, 1990F35 mi8 mi0 / 0
Oct 14, 1986F321 mi12 mi0 / 0
May 8, 1984F317 mi5 mi0 / 15
May 8, 1984F38 mi2 mi0 / 0
May 22, 1983F318 mi3.5 mi0 / 0
Apr 19, 1978F320 mi35.6 mi0 / 3
Sep 17, 2018EF215 mi7.5 mi1 / 1
Oct 11, 2018EF216 mi1.62 mi0 / 0
Aug 6, 1993F21 mi38 mi0 / 0
Apr 2, 1990F213 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
Oct 14, 1986F216 mi2 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Sutherland

The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Sutherland since 1977, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 27, 2017. The most recent report is from June 16, 2023. May has the most reports, 14.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Sutherland

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Petersburg, VA, 10 miles east of Sutherland at 19 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. August is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 47.0 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 47.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 48 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. That 47.0 inches is more than at 71 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (65%). Dinwiddie, 9 miles south, has its own station (Stony Creek 2 N, VA): 47.6 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Petersburg, VA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan49283.06
Feb52292.76
Mar60364.47
Apr70463.67
May78554.48
Jun86644.27
Jul89694.77
Aug87675.37
Sep82614.65
Oct72483.45
Nov62373.26
Dec53313.57
Year704847.078

Averages for 1991–2020 at Petersburg, VA (19 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.

Virginia weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Sutherland

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 272 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sutherland: 146 thunderstorm wind reports, 63 heavy rain events, 47 flash floods, 14 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 60 mph, on March 23, 2003. July has had the most flash floods, 29 of 47. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 297 have had fewer than Sutherland.

  • July 15, 2025: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Sutherland — $165,000 damage.

  • June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Sutherland — $160,000 damage.

  • June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Sutherland — $128,000 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

Dinwiddie County, which includes Sutherland, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Dinwiddie County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.2 million a year, the 77th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.7 million (37%), 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 Sutherland