Accomack County, Virginia Hurricane History
Since 1856, 41 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Accomack County, Virginia — about one every 4.1 years. Of those, 6 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 22 miles away on 9 July 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentElsa (2021) — 22 mi away, 9 July 2021
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1861) — 2.3 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles23 of 41
- Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (44% of all)
- Most active year1882 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1856–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsa (2021) | 9 Jul 2021 | 21.6 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Ana (2015) | 11 May 2015 | 14.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Irene (2011) | 28 Aug 2011 | 30.1 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Hanna (2008) | 6 Sep 2008 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 18 Sep 2004 | 21.0 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Gaston (2004) | 31 Aug 2004 | 8.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 16 Jun 2001 | 19.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Floyd (1999) | 16 Sep 1999 | 15.3 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Bertha (1996) | 13 Jul 1996 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Danielle (1992) | 25 Sep 1992 | 14.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Charley (1986) | 18 Aug 1986 | 39.6 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Dean (1983) | 30 Sep 1983 | 18.5 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Bret (1981) | 1 Jul 1981 | 28.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Bob (1979) | 15 Jul 1979 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Doria (1971) | 28 Aug 1971 | 5.6 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Camille (1969) | 20 Aug 1969 | 49.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Doria (1967) | 16 Sep 1967 | 40.8 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1963) | 3 Jun 1963 | 21.9 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1961) | 14 Sep 1961 | 15.4 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Brenda (1960) | 30 Jul 1960 | 9.7 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Cindy (1959) | 10 Jul 1959 | 26.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Connie (1955) | 13 Aug 1955 | 24.6 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Barbara (1953) | 14 Aug 1953 | 45.8 mi | Cat 1 | 79 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1943) | 1 Oct 1943 | 5.5 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1935) | 6 Sep 1935 | 35.8 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 15 Sep 1904 | 29.7 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 10 Oct 1894 | 27.8 mi | Cat 1 | 67 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 23 Oct 1893 | 14.2 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 25 Sep 1889 | 13.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 11 Sep 1888 | 39.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 2 Jul 1886 | 9.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 23 Sep 1882 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 11 Sep 1882 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 10 Sep 1881 | 31.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 18 Aug 1879 | 37.7 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1874) | 29 Sep 1874 | 27.5 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1872) | 26 Oct 1872 | 28.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | 18 Sep 1863 | 10.4 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 27 Sep 1861 | 2.3 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 17 Sep 1859 | 13.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 20 Aug 1856 | 14.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 18 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 9 most recent.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chantal (2025) | Remnant low | 7 Jul 2025 | 12.1 mi | 20 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | Post-tropical | 29 Oct 2020 | 44.1 mi | 45 kt |
| Nestor (2019) | Post-tropical | 20 Oct 2019 | 36.7 mi | 40 kt |
| Michael (2018) | Post-tropical | 12 Oct 2018 | 44.7 mi | 58 kt |
| Andrea (2013) | Post-tropical | 8 Jun 2013 | 3.5 mi | 40 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | Post-tropical | 29 Sep 2004 | 46.9 mi | 27 kt |
| Charley (2004) | Post-tropical | 15 Aug 2004 | 30.8 mi | 38 kt |
| Gordon (2000) | Post-tropical | 19 Sep 2000 | 47.1 mi | 24 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1924) | Post-tropical | 30 Sep 1924 | 20.3 mi | 64 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Accomack County, Virginia more than once.
- Doria — 2 passes (1967, 1971)
How Accomack County, Virginia compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Accomack County, Virginia ranks #308 — more exposed than 86.0% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #16 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 38 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Barbara (1953) passed 46 miles away on 14 August 1953 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 28 miles away on 10 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Irene (2011) passed 30 miles away on 28 August 2011 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
37 of the 41 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 41 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 31 years, between 1904 and 1935. It has been 4 years since the last one; 9 of the 38 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Accomack County, Virginia?
6 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Accomack County, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 41.
When was the last hurricane in Accomack County, Virginia?
Irene (2011), on 28 August 2011, passing 30 miles away — 15 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Accomack County, Virginia?
Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 38 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Accomack County, Virginia?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.1 years — 41 storms over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Accomack County, Virginia borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Northampton County, Virginia has 44 on record.