Chesapeake city, Virginia Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Chesapeake city, Virginia as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 53 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Chesapeake city, Virginia — about one every 3.3 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 39 miles away on 21 June 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.3

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 2 · 4Cat 1 · 8TS / TD · 41

The 53 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentClaudette (2021) — 39 mi away, 21 June 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 93 kt (107 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1882) — 2.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles24 of 53
Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (34% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1960s — 9 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Chesapeake city, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 18 of the 53 recorded storms (34%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 74% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 0 of the 53 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	3	5	7	14	18	6	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 19 storms in 1950–1987 against 11 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
4	2	4	4	4	0	2	0	3	0	4	9	4	2	3	5	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Claudette (2021)	21 Jun 2021	39.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	15.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Irene (2011)	27 Aug 2011	30.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Gaston (2004)	30 Aug 2004	38.4 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	12.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	42.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (2001)	16 Jun 2001	7.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Helene (2000)	24 Sep 2000	22.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	14.7 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Danny (1997)	24 Jul 1997	10.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	36.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Charley (1986)	18 Aug 1986	30.5 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Bret (1981)	1 Jul 1981	49.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Bob (1979)	15 Jul 1979	3.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Ginger (1971)	3 Oct 1971	38.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	10.6 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Alma (1970)	27 May 1970	40.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	29.1 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Doria (1967)	17 Sep 1967	25.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1967)	19 Jun 1967	8.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Cleo (1964)	1 Sep 1964	26.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	24 Jul 1964	43.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1963)	3 Jun 1963	19.5 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	6.8 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	45.1 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	24.6 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	16.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Ione (1955)	20 Sep 1955	28.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Connie (1955)	13 Aug 1955	11.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Barbara (1953)	14 Aug 1953	33.8 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	16.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	36.7 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	5.7 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	7 Sep 1916	40.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	22.3 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	18 Aug 1899	42.5 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	25 Oct 1897	45.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	7.5 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Jun 1893	27.3 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	25 Sep 1889	36.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	12 Oct 1888	43.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	2.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	3.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	32.4 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	43.2 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	39.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	25 Oct 1872	27.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	12.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	16.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1857)	14 Sep 1857	38.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	19 Aug 1856	11.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	6.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	29.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 17 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
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	28.0 mi	40 kt
Michael (2018)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 2018	15.5 mi	55 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	7 Jun 2013	29.5 mi	40 kt
Ernesto (2006)	Post-tropical	1 Sep 2006	45.7 mi	40 kt
Alberto (2006)	Post-tropical	14 Jun 2006	49.9 mi	38 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	35.0 mi	50 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	46.5 mi	45 kt
Danny (1985)	Post-tropical	19 Aug 1985	33.4 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	22.2 mi	63 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

Storms that came back

2 named storms in this record passed Chesapeake city, Virginia more than once.

Charley — 2 passes (1986, 2004)
Doria — 2 passes (1967, 1971)

How Chesapeake city, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Chesapeake city, Virginia ranks #175 — more exposed than 92.1% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #2 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 32 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 43 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Donna (1960) passed 45 miles away on 12 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 42 miles away on 18 August 1899 as a hurricane, reaching 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles.

47 of the 53 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 53 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 7 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 18 years, between 1935 and 1953. It has been 4 years since the last one; 10 of the 44 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Chesapeake city, Virginia?

11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Chesapeake city, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 53.

When was the last hurricane in Chesapeake city, Virginia?

Irene (2011), on 27 August 2011, passing 30 miles away — 15 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Chesapeake city, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 32 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Chesapeake city, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.3 years — 53 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Chesapeake city, Virginia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Camden County, North Carolina has 57 on record.

Camden County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Currituck County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Suffolk city, Virginia54 storms within 50 mi Portsmouth city, Virginia52 storms within 50 mi Virginia Beach city, Virginia52 storms within 50 mi Norfolk city, Virginia50 storms within 50 mi