Virginia Beach city

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Virginia Beach city: 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.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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.

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. Sep 18, 2003Hurricane (Typhoon), Virginia Beach$39.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Isabel was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed the Wakefield WFO county warning area. Sustained tropical storm force winds with frequent gusts to hurricane force occurred over Eastern Virginia, along and near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coastal Waters. Isabel made landfall near Ocracoke Inlet in North Carolina, tracked northwest into central Virginia just west of Richmond, then continued northward into western Pennsylvania. The highest sustained wind speed recorded was 72 mph at Chesapeake Light (CHLV2). Other sustained wind speeds were 69 mph at Gloucester Point (VIMS), 61 mph at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, 58 mph at Norfolk Naval Air Station (NGU), 57 mph at…

2. Apr 30, 2023Tornado$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado formed over the eastern branch of Lynnhaven River in the City of Virginia Beach. The tornado progressed up River Road as an EF1, passing by the Great Neck Recreation Center. It increased to an EF2 intensity, as it moved into the Chelsea |neighborhood. The tornado continued onto Haversham Close with EF3 intensity. In this area, several homes were shifted off their foundations and roofs and upper walls were completely removed. The tornado then crossed Broad Bay and the eastern portion of Bay Island, clipping Windward Shore Drive as an EF1. It then moved over First Landing State Park and into Fort Story as an EF1, snapping trees, damaging barracks, and damaging several…

3. Aug 26, 1998Hurricane (Typhoon), Virginia Beach$11.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Bonnie moved just offshore of southeast Virginia on August 27th and 28th. Very strong winds and heavy rains associated with Bonnie's spiral bands hammered the Hampton Roads area Thursday evening into Friday morning. The highest sustained wind speed recorded was 81 mph at Cape Henry (anemometer elevation is 90 ft). Other sustained wind speeds were 78 mph at the Chesapeake Light Station Buoy just offshore (anemometer elevation is 90 ft), 53 mph at Langley Air Force Base, and 46 mph at the Norfolk International Airport. The highest gusts recorded were 104 mph at Cape Henry, 93 mph at the Chesapeake Light Station Buoy, 67 mph at Langley Air Force Base, and 64 mph at the…

4. May 1, 1997Hail$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles.

5. Oct 8, 2016Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused an extended period of significant flooding across much of the county. Numerous roads were impassable or closed for several days, and many homes and businesses were impacted.

6. Nov 12, 2009Coastal Flood, Virginia Beach$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous streets, homes and businesses were flooded in low lying areas of the county close or directly exposed to the Chesapeake Bay. The flooding was extensive, well above what was experienced in Isabel, in the Long Creek, Lynnhaven Colony and Bay Island areas.

7. Aug 27, 2011Tropical Storm, Virginia Beach$5.0 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 48 knots (55 mph) with a peak gust of 57 knots (66 mph) was recorded at Cape Henry. The highest sustained wind of 51 knots (59 mph) with a peak gust of 60 knots (69 mph) was recorded at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Storm total rainfall generally ranged from six to twelve inches.

8. Mar 31, 2017Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tornado tracked from Chesapeake northeast into Virginia Beach. The tornado emerged from Stumpy Lake along Elbow Road as an EF0 causing some significant damage to siding and shingles to homes just north of Elbow Road. The tornado crossed Round Hill Drive, and then Elbow Road itself as it re-intensified to an EF1. The tornado crossed Elbow Road as an EF1 causing significant damage to oak trees which fell trapping a car under numerous trees. There were no injuries. The tornado continued as a weak EF1 to Salem Road (and Elbow Road) causing some significant roof damage to homes in the area. The tornado then briefly weakened as it moved northeast causing light damage to siding and…

9. Sep 15, 1999Hurricane (Typhoon), Virginia Beach$1.2 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…

10. Oct 28, 2012Coastal Flood, Virginia Beach$564,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Water levels reached 3.5 feet to 4.5 feet above normal adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean resulting in moderate to severe coastal flooding. Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel reached a tide height of 7.13 feet MLLW.

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°F2 times, most recently Jul 25, 2010

All-time low

−3°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

83°FJul 8, 2012

Coldest day

13°F2 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Wettest day

8.93 inSep 1, 2006

Snowiest day

13.6 inFeb 18, 1989

Hottest year

2020mean 64.0°F

Coldest year

1966mean 57.2°F

Wettest year

201668.86 in

Driest year

198626.48 in

Snowiest season

41.9 in1979-80

Station Norfolk International Airport (USW00013737), 11 ft elevation, 7.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1946 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 USW00013737.
• 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.
• 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.