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Tornadoes in Virginia

Virginia has recorded 828 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 18 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 38 people and injured 949. April is the most active month.

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Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 23962397: 10971098: 14981499: 999900: 11001101: 13011302: 702703: 31033104: 83048305: 24052406: 16061607: 207208: 40084009: 16091610: 810811: 48114812: 11121113: 513514: 13141315: 715716: 916917: 26172618: 28182819: 23192320: 15201521: 11211122: 16221623: 623624: 12241225: 4254
Virginia tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 4150s4160s: 4160s4170s: 8170s8180s: 5480s5490s: 12690s12600s: 24300s24310s: 17810s17820s: 6420s64
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in Virginia

Jan: 18Jan18Feb: 26Feb26Mar: 30Mar30Apr: 136Apr136May: 113May113Jun: 91Jun91Jul: 107Jul107Aug: 103Aug103Sep: 119Sep119Oct: 60Oct60Nov: 21Nov21Dec: 4Dec4
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 340EF0340EF1: 351EF1351EF2: 100EF2100EF3: 35EF335EF4: 2EF42EF5: 0EF5
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in Virginia

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
September 30, 1959F3Albemarle County0.8 mi200 yd114
August 6, 1993F4Dinwiddie County1 mi250 yd4246
April 27, 2011EF3Washington County19.6 mi1,320 yd350
February 24, 2016EF1Sussex County8.9 mi300 yd38
April 1, 1998F3Hanover County5 mi400 yd20
April 16, 2011EF3Surry County26.5 mi800 yd224
May 4, 1990F2Augusta County7 mi27 yd210
September 30, 1959F3Greene County2 mi100 yd19
March 24, 1969F3Halifax County0.1 mi20 yd14
April 4, 1974F3Washington County8.4 mi177 yd14

Strongest tornadoes in Virginia

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
August 6, 1993F4Dinwiddie County1 mi250 yd4246
September 24, 2001F4Culpeper County10 mi75 yd02
September 30, 1959F3Albemarle County0.8 mi200 yd114
April 27, 2011EF3Washington County19.6 mi1,320 yd350
April 16, 2011EF3Surry County26.5 mi800 yd224
April 1, 1998F3Hanover County5 mi400 yd20
September 5, 1979F3Fairfax County17.9 mi300 yd16
February 24, 2016EF3Appomattox County16.9 mi400 yd17
April 4, 1974F3Washington County8.4 mi177 yd14
October 18, 1990F3King William County5 mi430 yd10

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
November 9, 2025EF0Middlesex County0.5 mi50 yd00
September 4, 2025EF1Halifax County0.3 mi225 yd00
May 30, 2025EF0Page County0.8 mi75 yd00
March 5, 2025EF0Gloucester County0.4 mi75 yd00
September 27, 2024EF1Pittsylvania County0.2 mi150 yd00
September 27, 2024EF1Bedford County1.2 mi150 yd00
September 27, 2024EF2Pittsylvania County6.9 mi225 yd01
August 8, 2024EF1Loudoun County4.8 mi100 yd00
August 8, 2024EF1Stafford County6.9 mi150 yd00
August 8, 2024EF1Caroline County1.7 mi700 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
Fauquier County28111913580.2
Loudoun County25125484496.1
Pittsylvania County2258802889.6
Suffolk city21136315789.5
Chesterfield County20122169811.3
Fairfax County20132480818.4
Southampton County1877829716.2
Halifax County1753826405.9
Gloucester County17201972477.1
Hanover County1794081196.6
Stafford County17164291044.8
Isle of Wight County16131139240.5
Virginia Beach city16169142857.1
Louisa County1578484848.5
Caroline County1573719165.1
Richmond city14604333333.3
Orange County14106334310.9
Spotsylvania County1490199005
Nottoway County14115477707
Prince William County14108238806

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.