Charles City County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Charles City 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.

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 19, 2019Tornado$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The National Service in Wakefield confirmed an EF2 tornado just northeast of Charles City. The tornado touched down just east of The Glebe Lane about 1.7 miles northeast of Charles City causing some trees to be uprooted and snapped along Ruthville Road. Soon after crossing Ruthville Road, the tornado intensified to an EF2, causing extensive damage to Charles City Rod and Gun Club. The roof of the building was lifted off and blown partially off. In addition, the south facing exterior wall was blown in. The tornado continued tracking northeast, crossing Old Elam Cemetery Road and then The Glebe Lane, causing extensive tree damage including snapped and uprooted trees consistent with…

2. Aug 27, 2011Tropical Storm, Charles City$89,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm force winds knocked down several trees and power lines, as well as caused some structural damage. In addition, heavy rains contributed to significant crop damage. Storm total rainfall generally ranged from five to nine inches.

3. Feb 13, 2021Ice Storm, Charles City$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Freezing rain or freezing drizzle resulted in significant ice accretion between 0.25 inch and 0.40 inch across the county. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, with widespread power outages reported due to the ice accretion.

4. Feb 18, 2021Winter Storm, Charles City$30,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ice accretions between 0.20 inch and 0.25 inch, along with sleet accumulations between 0.5 inch and 1.0 inch were reported. Several trees and power lines were downed, with numerous power outages reported.

5. Mar 2, 2018High Wind, Charles City$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The very strong winds downed trees and caused power outages.

6. Jan 30, 2000Ice Storm, Charles City$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An ice storm affected a large portion of central and eastern Virginia with ice accumulations of up to one-half inch. Freezing rain mixed with sleet and snow spread over the area during the morning hours. Freezing rain then mixed with rain during the afternoon and evening along the eastern counties of Prince George, Charles City, New Kent, King William, King and Queen, Essex, Richmond, and Westmoreland. Farther west, freezing rain fell for most of the day with general accumulations from one-fourth to one-half inch. At one point, 300,000 people were without power in the Richmond vicinity due to the weight of ice downing trees and power lines. One Richmond TV station was knocked off…

7. May 5, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$15,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Trees were downed in the northwest part of the county. Tree was downed on a church at Old Union Road and Church Road.

8. Apr 27, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe thunderstorms developed in an unstable airmass and produced scattered reports of large hail and wind damage. Additionally, a tornado occurred in Gloucester county.

9. May 11, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$6,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

10. Aug 21, 2005Lightning$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning strike caused fire and damaged boat near Rivers Rest and Wilcox Road.

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

105°F3 times, most recently Jul 25, 2010

All-time low

−12°FJan 29, 1940

Warmest night

81°FJul 12, 2011

Coldest day

12°F2 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Wettest day

8.79 inAug 12, 1955

Snowiest day

19.9 inJan 24, 1940

Hottest year

2024mean 61.8°F

Coldest year

1940mean 55.0°F

Wettest year

201863.73 in

Driest year

194122.91 in

Snowiest season

38.9 in1961-62

Station Richmond International Airport (USW00013740), 166 ft elevation, 15.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1939 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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 USW00013740.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, 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.
• 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.