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| Hurricanes and Virginia |
The following are some of Virginia's significant tropical cyclones:
1667 On Sept. 6, a severe hurricane tracked through the Chesapeake Bay region. "The nearest computation
is at least 10,000 houses blown down ..." according to an official account. The valuable tobacco crop was
largely destroyed. This hurricane remained a benchmark for generations.
1724 The Great August Gust. A hurricane with winds that left a long-term impression swept southeastern
Virginia on Aug. 23.
1749 A destructive coastal storm passed just off the coast on Oct. 18-19. "The tide (at Norfolk) rose 15 feet
perpendicular," according to the Virginia Gazette. Many ships lost in the vicinity. Waterfronts devastated in the
lower Chesapeake Bay region.
1769 On Sept. 7-8, a hurricane lashed the lower Chesapeake region with high winds and tides, as well as
torrential rain. Extensive crop losses. Widespread structural damage. One of the area's most destructive
hurricanes of the century.
1775 The Independence Hurricane on Sept. 2-3 . Wind and rain created havoc throughout eastern Virginia.
Many boats sunk or grounded in the Chesapeake Bay. Heavy crop and tree losses. Widespread minor to
moderate structural damage.
1788 George Washington's Hurricane. The remnants of a hurricane passed through Washington's estate at
Mount Vernon on July 23-24. The storm whipped eastern Virginia with strong gales and heavy rain.
1795 Two remnant systems, on Aug. 2-3 and Aug. 13, caused tremendous flooding, particularly in the Blue
Ridge region. Thomas Jefferson bemoaned crop losses at Monticello.
1821 A hurricane tracked inside the coast on Sept. 3. One of eastern Virginia's most destructive windstorms.
A "tidal wave" was observed at Chincoteague. Damage to Norfolk "incalculable," according to one account.
1825 Virginia's earliest significant tropical cyclone struck on June 3-4. Notable along the coast, with
prolonged gales and damaging tides.
1876 The Centennial Gale caused the highest tide in generations through the Chesapeake Bay region and
swept damaging winds throughout the eastern half of Virginia on Sept. 16-17. Considerable crop losses and
uprooted trees--a pruning similar to that from Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
1877 A remnant system on Oct. 4 caused severe flooding in the Shenandoah Valley. One of the areas most
destructive floods.
1878 A strong hurricane raced through eastern Virginia on Oct. 23. Crop losses and considerable structural
damage. Hurricane-force winds on the Chesapeake Bay. The schooner A.S. Davis foundered off Virginia Beach,
with the loss of 19 crew members.
1879 Norfolk was battered by an intense hurricane on Aug. 19. Hurricane-force winds and considerable
property losses. The storm was severe throughout the Tidewater region. 150 buildings damaged in Portsmouth.
1896 One of Virginia's most destructive windstorms. On Sept. 29, a band of hurricane-force winds, about 50
miles wide, swept through central sections of the state from the North Carolina border to Maryland. Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Alexandria hard-hit.
1925 Dec. 2-3. The latest hurricane on record to strike the United States (Dec.1) tracked offshore. It pelted
southeastern Virginia with several inches of rain. Cape Henry clocked a 5-minute windspeed of 60 mph.
1928 Two tropical systems, on Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 16-17, brought Virginia one of its wettest months. Heavy
crop damage and flooding throughout the eastern two-thirds of the state.
1933 The storied Chesapeake and Potomac Hurricane. Hurricane-force gusts in southeastern Virginia and
gales throughout the eastern half of the state on Aug. 23. Significant coastal and Chesapeake Bay flooding.
Additional flooding from heavy rains. A second significant hurricane brushed the coast on Sept. 16, causing
modest damage.
1935 The Great Labor Day Hurricane raked the Old Dominion with gales, tornadoes and flooding rain on
Sept. 6. It was particularly severe in southeastern Virginia.
1936 A Category 2 hurricane passed within 25 miles of Virginia Beach. Damaging winds and tides Sept. 8.
1940 A remnant system caused tremendous flooding in western sections and Southside Virginia as it
meandered through from Aug. 13-15.
1942 Record flooding in northwestern Virginia as a dying tropical storm stalled over the area in mid-October.
Nearly 17 inches of rain at Riverton. Ranks as one of Fredericksburg's and the northern Shenandoah Valley's
worst floods.
1944 The Great Atlantic Hurricane stayed just offshore on Sept. 14. A sustained wind of 134 mph recorded
at Cape Henry, with a gust estimated at 150 mph. A state and Mid-Atlantic wind record.
1954 On Oct. 15, Hurricane Hazel raced through the state bringing hurricane-force winds to the eastern third
and flooding rains to the Blue Ridge. 108 mph gust at Suffolk. 100+ mph in Norfolk. A gust of 79 mph in
Richmond. A sustained wind of 78 mph at Washington (D.C.) National Airport, with a gust of 98 mph.
1955 In August, hurricanes Connie and Diane swept through the state bringing flooding rains to the eastern
half of Virginia. Connie tracked over the Chesapeake Bay with tropical storm-force winds on Aug. 12. A daily
record rainfall of 8.79 inches in Richmond that day. Diane dumped up to 10 inches of rain on the Shenandoah
Valley on the 18th.
1960 Hurricane Donna brought hurricane-force winds to the Virginia coast on Sept. 12. An estimated gust of
138 mph reported 17 miles off Virginia Beach.
1964 The remnants of Hurricane Cleo dropped over 10 inches of rain on the Virginia coast. Norfolk collected
11.40 in 20 hours on Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Virginia Beach tallied a 24-hour rainfall of 13.70 inches.
1969 The remnants of Hurricane Camille on Aug. 19-20 dumped at least 27 inches of rain in about five
hours on part of Nelson County. Deadly flash flooding and mudslides. Flooding was severe along the James
River and elsewhere throughout central Virginia. More than 125 dead in the state's deadliest natural disaster.
1972 Hurricane Agnes brought extreme flooding throughout much of the state on June 21-22. One of
Virginia's most destructive floods. An environmental calamity for the state's waterways.
1975 The remnants of Hurricane Eloise (Sept. 23-26) caused widespread flooding in Northern Virginia. The
Washington, D.C., suburbs were severely impacted.
1979 Hurricane David tracked through on Sept. 5. Gales from the Blue Ridge east and heavy rains. A
tornado outbreak caused several deaths and significant damage, especially in the Tidewater and Northern
Virginia regions.
1985 Hurricane Gloria on Sept. 27 pummeled coastal areas. An offshoot of Hurricane Juan brought tidal
flooding on the Chesapeake Bay , as well as severe stream and river flooding in northwestern Virginia and
sections of West Virginia on Nov. 4-5. An exceptional year for tropical cyclone activity during a generally quiet
decade.
1996 Hurricane Fran caused widespread power outages, gales and heavy rain throughout much of the state
on Sept. 5. Earlier, on July 12, Hurricane Bertha swept through the state causing modest damage.
1998 Hurricane Bonnie on Aug. 27 lashed the Tidewater region with hours of 50+ mph gusts. Widespread
power outages and various property losses.
1999 Hurricane Floyd brought more than 10 inches of rain to part of the Tidewater region and Eastern Shore
on Sept. 16. The town of Franklin in southeastern Virginia was devastated. Epic rainfall caused one of the
state's historic natural disasters.
2003 Hurricane Isabel struck on Sept. 18. Record power outages. Widespread tree losses in the eastern
third of the state. Many hours of strong gales. Isolated gusts of near-hurricane and hurricane force.
2004 Numerous remnant systems brought record tornado outbreaks. Hurricane Ivan on Sept. 17 was the
most prolific. Touchdowns in many places from Martinsville in Southside Virginia to the Washington, D.C., area.
Hurricanes Frances (Sept. 8), Ivan and Jeanne (Sept. 28) also brought heavy rain and localized flooding to
various sections of the state. The remnants of Hurricane Gaston dumped up to 14 inches of rain in the
Richmond area on Aug. 30, causing calamitous flash flooding.
Much additional information on Virginia hurricanes is contained in the book,
Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States.
1667 On Sept. 6, a severe hurricane tracked through the Chesapeake Bay region. "The nearest computation
is at least 10,000 houses blown down ..." according to an official account. The valuable tobacco crop was
largely destroyed. This hurricane remained a benchmark for generations.
1724 The Great August Gust. A hurricane with winds that left a long-term impression swept southeastern
Virginia on Aug. 23.
1749 A destructive coastal storm passed just off the coast on Oct. 18-19. "The tide (at Norfolk) rose 15 feet
perpendicular," according to the Virginia Gazette. Many ships lost in the vicinity. Waterfronts devastated in the
lower Chesapeake Bay region.
1769 On Sept. 7-8, a hurricane lashed the lower Chesapeake region with high winds and tides, as well as
torrential rain. Extensive crop losses. Widespread structural damage. One of the area's most destructive
hurricanes of the century.
1775 The Independence Hurricane on Sept. 2-3 . Wind and rain created havoc throughout eastern Virginia.
Many boats sunk or grounded in the Chesapeake Bay. Heavy crop and tree losses. Widespread minor to
moderate structural damage.
1788 George Washington's Hurricane. The remnants of a hurricane passed through Washington's estate at
Mount Vernon on July 23-24. The storm whipped eastern Virginia with strong gales and heavy rain.
1795 Two remnant systems, on Aug. 2-3 and Aug. 13, caused tremendous flooding, particularly in the Blue
Ridge region. Thomas Jefferson bemoaned crop losses at Monticello.
1821 A hurricane tracked inside the coast on Sept. 3. One of eastern Virginia's most destructive windstorms.
A "tidal wave" was observed at Chincoteague. Damage to Norfolk "incalculable," according to one account.
1825 Virginia's earliest significant tropical cyclone struck on June 3-4. Notable along the coast, with
prolonged gales and damaging tides.
1876 The Centennial Gale caused the highest tide in generations through the Chesapeake Bay region and
swept damaging winds throughout the eastern half of Virginia on Sept. 16-17. Considerable crop losses and
uprooted trees--a pruning similar to that from Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
1877 A remnant system on Oct. 4 caused severe flooding in the Shenandoah Valley. One of the areas most
destructive floods.
1878 A strong hurricane raced through eastern Virginia on Oct. 23. Crop losses and considerable structural
damage. Hurricane-force winds on the Chesapeake Bay. The schooner A.S. Davis foundered off Virginia Beach,
with the loss of 19 crew members.
1879 Norfolk was battered by an intense hurricane on Aug. 19. Hurricane-force winds and considerable
property losses. The storm was severe throughout the Tidewater region. 150 buildings damaged in Portsmouth.
1896 One of Virginia's most destructive windstorms. On Sept. 29, a band of hurricane-force winds, about 50
miles wide, swept through central sections of the state from the North Carolina border to Maryland. Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Alexandria hard-hit.
1925 Dec. 2-3. The latest hurricane on record to strike the United States (Dec.1) tracked offshore. It pelted
southeastern Virginia with several inches of rain. Cape Henry clocked a 5-minute windspeed of 60 mph.
1928 Two tropical systems, on Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 16-17, brought Virginia one of its wettest months. Heavy
crop damage and flooding throughout the eastern two-thirds of the state.
1933 The storied Chesapeake and Potomac Hurricane. Hurricane-force gusts in southeastern Virginia and
gales throughout the eastern half of the state on Aug. 23. Significant coastal and Chesapeake Bay flooding.
Additional flooding from heavy rains. A second significant hurricane brushed the coast on Sept. 16, causing
modest damage.
1935 The Great Labor Day Hurricane raked the Old Dominion with gales, tornadoes and flooding rain on
Sept. 6. It was particularly severe in southeastern Virginia.
1936 A Category 2 hurricane passed within 25 miles of Virginia Beach. Damaging winds and tides Sept. 8.
1940 A remnant system caused tremendous flooding in western sections and Southside Virginia as it
meandered through from Aug. 13-15.
1942 Record flooding in northwestern Virginia as a dying tropical storm stalled over the area in mid-October.
Nearly 17 inches of rain at Riverton. Ranks as one of Fredericksburg's and the northern Shenandoah Valley's
worst floods.
1944 The Great Atlantic Hurricane stayed just offshore on Sept. 14. A sustained wind of 134 mph recorded
at Cape Henry, with a gust estimated at 150 mph. A state and Mid-Atlantic wind record.
1954 On Oct. 15, Hurricane Hazel raced through the state bringing hurricane-force winds to the eastern third
and flooding rains to the Blue Ridge. 108 mph gust at Suffolk. 100+ mph in Norfolk. A gust of 79 mph in
Richmond. A sustained wind of 78 mph at Washington (D.C.) National Airport, with a gust of 98 mph.
1955 In August, hurricanes Connie and Diane swept through the state bringing flooding rains to the eastern
half of Virginia. Connie tracked over the Chesapeake Bay with tropical storm-force winds on Aug. 12. A daily
record rainfall of 8.79 inches in Richmond that day. Diane dumped up to 10 inches of rain on the Shenandoah
Valley on the 18th.
1960 Hurricane Donna brought hurricane-force winds to the Virginia coast on Sept. 12. An estimated gust of
138 mph reported 17 miles off Virginia Beach.
1964 The remnants of Hurricane Cleo dropped over 10 inches of rain on the Virginia coast. Norfolk collected
11.40 in 20 hours on Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Virginia Beach tallied a 24-hour rainfall of 13.70 inches.
1969 The remnants of Hurricane Camille on Aug. 19-20 dumped at least 27 inches of rain in about five
hours on part of Nelson County. Deadly flash flooding and mudslides. Flooding was severe along the James
River and elsewhere throughout central Virginia. More than 125 dead in the state's deadliest natural disaster.
1972 Hurricane Agnes brought extreme flooding throughout much of the state on June 21-22. One of
Virginia's most destructive floods. An environmental calamity for the state's waterways.
1975 The remnants of Hurricane Eloise (Sept. 23-26) caused widespread flooding in Northern Virginia. The
Washington, D.C., suburbs were severely impacted.
1979 Hurricane David tracked through on Sept. 5. Gales from the Blue Ridge east and heavy rains. A
tornado outbreak caused several deaths and significant damage, especially in the Tidewater and Northern
Virginia regions.
1985 Hurricane Gloria on Sept. 27 pummeled coastal areas. An offshoot of Hurricane Juan brought tidal
flooding on the Chesapeake Bay , as well as severe stream and river flooding in northwestern Virginia and
sections of West Virginia on Nov. 4-5. An exceptional year for tropical cyclone activity during a generally quiet
decade.
1996 Hurricane Fran caused widespread power outages, gales and heavy rain throughout much of the state
on Sept. 5. Earlier, on July 12, Hurricane Bertha swept through the state causing modest damage.
1998 Hurricane Bonnie on Aug. 27 lashed the Tidewater region with hours of 50+ mph gusts. Widespread
power outages and various property losses.
1999 Hurricane Floyd brought more than 10 inches of rain to part of the Tidewater region and Eastern Shore
on Sept. 16. The town of Franklin in southeastern Virginia was devastated. Epic rainfall caused one of the
state's historic natural disasters.
2003 Hurricane Isabel struck on Sept. 18. Record power outages. Widespread tree losses in the eastern
third of the state. Many hours of strong gales. Isolated gusts of near-hurricane and hurricane force.
2004 Numerous remnant systems brought record tornado outbreaks. Hurricane Ivan on Sept. 17 was the
most prolific. Touchdowns in many places from Martinsville in Southside Virginia to the Washington, D.C., area.
Hurricanes Frances (Sept. 8), Ivan and Jeanne (Sept. 28) also brought heavy rain and localized flooding to
various sections of the state. The remnants of Hurricane Gaston dumped up to 14 inches of rain in the
Richmond area on Aug. 30, causing calamitous flash flooding.
Much additional information on Virginia hurricanes is contained in the book,
Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States.
Hurricane Camille in 1969 caused Virginia's
deadliest natural disaster. Most casualties
occurred in Nelson County.
deadliest natural disaster. Most casualties
occurred in Nelson County.
Virginia Weather Links
Office of the Virginia state climatologist. http://climate.virginia.edu/
Virginia hurricane history. www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/vahur.htm
CapitalWeather.com. This site features ongoing information and discussions about weather affecting the
Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. www.capitalweather.com
Office of the Virginia state climatologist. http://climate.virginia.edu/
Virginia hurricane history. www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/vahur.htm
CapitalWeather.com. This site features ongoing information and discussions about weather affecting the
Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. www.capitalweather.com
| To order Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States: Send a check or money order for $29.95, postpaid. (Internet special-- The regular price is $32.95.) Virginia residents add $1.35 sales tax. Make checks payable to Blue Diamond Books. Mail to: 6516 China Grove Ct., Alexandria, VA 22310 Or pay by credit card through the convenience of PayPal (See Home Page). |
| Summer 2008 |