Accomack County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Accomack County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

High tide flooding

1. High tide flooding days are days on which a NOAA tide gauge recorded water at or above NOAA's minor flood threshold, set from the gauge's tide range, counted by meteorological year (May to April). These are the counts in NOAA's annual high tide flooding reports; they are not National Weather Service flood stages. Years with less than 80 percent of data are left out.

NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, through April 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Tsunamis

1. Places where NOAA's Global Historical Tsunami Database records a tsunami's water arriving, with the greatest height it reached above sea level at the time. Only tsunamis NOAA rates probable or definite are counted. Heights from eyewitness accounts and tide gauges are mixed, and older events are less completely recorded.

NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Oct 28, 2012Coastal Flood, Accomack$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Water levels reached 3.0 feet to 5.0 feet above normal adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean resulting in moderate to severe coastal flooding. Wachapreague reached a tide height of 8.40 feet MLLW. The towns of Chincoteague, Saxis and Sanford received the most significant damage, with estimated losses near two million dollars in Chincoteague alone.

2. Sep 1, 2006Coastal Flood, Accomack$5.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tides of 4 to 5 feet above normal...combined with 6 to 8 foot waves caused significant damage to homes, piers, bulkheads, boats, and marinas across portions of the Virginia's Northern Neck and Eastern Shore near the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean and adjacent tributaries. Some of the most significant damage occurred in the Lewisetta area of Northumberland county.

3. Sep 1, 2006High Wind, Accomack$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The remnants of Ernesto along the Mid Atlantic coast combined with strong high pressure over New England produced very strong winds across eastern and southeast Virginia. Sustained winds in mph ranged from the lower 40s to near 60 with maximum gusts ranging from the mid 50s to as high as the mid 70s. Some higher sustained winds included 60 mph (52 knots) at York River Range Light and York River United States Coast Guard, and 56 mph (49 knots) at Wallops Island (WAL). Some higher maximum gusts included 76 mph (66 knots) at York River Range Light, and 75 mph (65 knots) at York River USCG. The high winds caused numerous downed trees and power outages, along with significant…

4. Sep 15, 1999Hurricane (Typhoon), Accomack$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Floyd was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed the Wakefield WFO county warning area. Sustained tropical storm force winds with gusts to near hurricane force occurred over the northwest quadrant of the storm over interior portions of northeast North Carolina and along the coastal waters of the Wakefield marine area. The center of the storm crossed the county warning area along an Elizabeth City to Currituck county to Sandbridge Virginia Beach axis. The highest sustained wind speed recorded was 69 mph at Chesapeake Light (CHLV2). Other sustained wind speeds were 46 mph at Langley Air Force Base (LFI), 44 mph at Norfolk Naval Air Station (NGU), and 41 mph at Oceana Naval…

5. Aug 27, 2011Tropical Storm, Accomack$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm force winds knocked down several trees and power lines, as well as caused some significant property damage. The highest sustained wind of 34 knots (39 mph) with a peak gust of 46 knots (53 mph) was recorded at WAL (Wallops Island). The highest sustained wind of 39 knots (45 mph) with a peak gust of 57 knots (66 mph) was recorded at Wachapreague. Coastal storm tides of 4 to 5 feet above astronomical tide levels were common. The tide level at Wachapreague reached 9.30 feet MLLW. Storm total rainfall generally ranged from five to eight inches.

6. Nov 12, 2009Coastal Flood, Accomack$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous homes and businesses were flooded with between three and 12 inches of water in the Chincoteague area. The boat ramp, dock and parking area were flooded during high tide in the Onancock area. Roads were flooded in the Chesconessex area. The causeway connecting Chincoteague to mainland Accomack county was closed 3 times during the event. The beach at Assateague was closed to the public so Fish and Wildlife workers could clear the parking lot of sand that washed over and make repairs to a road. There was also severe beach erosion. The flooding in Chincoteague was comparable to the storm surge flooding experienced with Hurricane Gloria in 1985. At Wachapreague, flooding was…

7. Oct 8, 2016Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused an extended period of significant flooding across portions of the county. Several roads were impassable or closed for a couple of days, and some homes and businesses were impacted.

8. Aug 4, 2020Tropical Storm, Accomack$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm winds downed and uprooted several trees and power lines, produced significant structural damage, and caused power outages across the county. Wind gust of 59 knots (68 mph) was measured at WAL. Wind gust of 47 knots (54 mph) was measured at MFV.

9. Dec 21, 2012Coastal Flood, Accomack$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Water levels reached 3.0 feet to 4.0 feet above normal on Tangier Island and Saxis adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay resulting in moderate to severe coastal flooding. Some roads and buildings on Tangier Island were flooded. Water was 2 feet deep covering the Causeway into Saxis. One home near the Causeway was flooded.

10. Jan 23, 2016High Wind, Accomack$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Wind gust of 61 knots (70 mph) was measured at WAL. Wind gust of 50 knots (58 mph) was measured at MFV. Numerous trees were downed on Chincoteague Island, with a few trees falling on homes.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

102°FJul 7, 2012

All-time low

−1°FFeb 20, 2015

Warmest night

83°FJul 23, 2011

Coldest day

10°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

7.36 inSep 29, 2016

Snowiest day

10.2 inDec 26, 2010

Hottest year

2012mean 60.3°F

Coldest year

1967mean 52.8°F

Wettest year

200962.61 in

Driest year

197027.21 in

Snowiest season

27.9 in2009-10

Station Wallops Is Nasa Test Facility (USW00093739), 32 ft elevation, 13.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1966 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093739.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Tide gauges NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Tsunamis NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.