NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wakefield, 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
71 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Wakefield, Virginia since 1851, 13 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 13
- Tropical storms
- 58
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Wakefield
The strongest storm to pass near Wakefield was an unnamed storm in 1879, a Category 2 hurricane with 107 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Wakefield begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 54 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems. Of the 71 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Wakefield has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 16, 2011, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on February 24, 2016, killed 3 people. Of the 62, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 16, 2023. Wakefield has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 67% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 13 times since 1991, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wakefield.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wakefield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 72 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 43 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 49 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 18 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | DeanSep 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 27 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | IoneSep 20 | 69 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 46 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 58 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 75 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 28 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 74 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 72 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 5 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 18 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 67 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 Wakefield: 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 Wakefield
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s20(1 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 26.47 mi | 2 / 24 |
| Apr 28, 2008 | EF3 | 24 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 200 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F3 | 8 mi | 35.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 10 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 14 mi | 22.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 28, 1988 | F2 | 16 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1986 | F2 | 16 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 6, 1969 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 8 mi | 8.86 mi | 3 / 8 |
| Dec 24, 2020 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wakefield
The Storm Prediction Center has 13 hail reports within 10 miles of Wakefield since 1991, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 19, 2016. The most recent report is from May 31, 2019. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wakefield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norfolk Rich, VA, 2 miles northwest of Wakefield at 112 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 49.8 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.5 of 49.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 71 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (29); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 5.9 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 79 nights a year. That 49.8 inches is more than at 93 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (85%). Waverly, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Wakefield 1NW, VA): 51.6 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 3.6 | 6 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 5.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 49.8 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Norfolk Rich, VA (112 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 Wakefield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 182 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wakefield: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 48 heavy rain events, 34 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 60 mph, on June 13, 2013. September has had the most flash floods, 13 of 34. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 269 have had fewer than Wakefield.
October 7, 2006: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Wakefield — $1.1 million damage.
October 7, 2006: flash flood in Wakefield — $110,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads closed including a section of HWY 460. High water laso resulted in significant crop damage.”
October 10, 2016: flood 2 miles from the centre of Wakefield — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused an extended period of significant flooding across portions of the county. Numerous roads were impassable or closed for several days, and some homes and businesses were impacted.”
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
Sussex County, which includes Wakefield, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sussex 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 $4.1 million a year, the 110th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.6 million (38%), 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 Wakefield
- Waverly, VA7 mi
- Zuni, VA12 mi
- Spring Grove, VA15 mi
- Courtland, VA16 mi
- Windsor, VA16 mi
- Disputanta, VA18 mi
- Smithfield, VA19 mi
- Franklin, VA21 mi
- Capron, VA21 mi
- Carrollton, VA25 mi
- Fort Eustis, VA25 mi
- Prince George, VA26 mi
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