Mathews County, Virginia Hurricane History

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

Since 1854, 43 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Mathews County, Virginia — about one every 4.0 years. Of those, 6 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 16 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.0

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 · 2Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 36

The 43 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 16 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordGaston (2004) — 5.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles23 of 43
Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (42% of all)
Most active year1882 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1854–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Mathews County, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 18 of the 43 recorded storms (42%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 79% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 6 storms. 0 of the 43 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	1	2	7	9	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: 11 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
3	2	4	6	2	1	0	0	3	1	2	4	3	2	3	3	2	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	15.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Isaias (2020)	4 Aug 2020	34.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	19.1 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Irene (2011)	28 Aug 2011	47.6 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Hanna (2008)	6 Sep 2008	35.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Gaston (2004)	31 Aug 2004	5.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Allison (2001)	16 Jun 2001	42.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	29.0 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	16.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Danielle (1992)	25 Sep 1992	45.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Dean (1983)	30 Sep 1983	15.4 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bret (1981)	1 Jul 1981	13.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Bob (1979)	15 Jul 1979	11.2 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Ginger (1971)	3 Oct 1971	12.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	20.1 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	22.5 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1963)	3 Jun 1963	14.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	26.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	10.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	25.4 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Connie (1955)	13 Aug 1955	5.5 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1943)	1 Oct 1943	36.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	29.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	42.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	22.8 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	15 Sep 1904	25.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	36.2 mi	Cat 1	64 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	23 Oct 1893	47.4 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	25 Sep 1889	8.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Sep 1888	33.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	2 Jul 1886	11.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	20.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Sep 1882	20.1 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	32.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	48.5 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	45.9 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	13.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	13.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	17.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	24.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	13.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	20 Aug 1856	27.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	47.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 15 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	13.2 mi	22 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	23.9 mi	40 kt
Michael (2018)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 2018	33.8 mi	57 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	8 Jun 2013	4.2 mi	40 kt
Ernesto (2006)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2006	31.5 mi	40 kt
Charley (2004)	Post-tropical	15 Aug 2004	40.4 mi	39 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 2000	47.1 mi	23 kt
Danny (1985)	Post-tropical	19 Aug 1985	14.4 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	20.0 mi	64 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1854–2025. 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.

How Mathews County, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Mathews County, Virginia ranks #279 — more exposed than 87.4% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #12 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 48 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 46 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Connie (1955) passed 5 miles away on 13 August 1955 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 23 miles away on 23 August 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.

38 of the 43 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 43 storms spread over the 172 years from 1854 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 29 years, between 1904 and 1933. It has been 4 years since the last one; 9 of the 40 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Mathews County, Virginia?

6 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Mathews County, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1854. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 43.

When was the last hurricane in Mathews County, Virginia?

Irene (2011), on 28 August 2011, passing 48 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 Mathews County, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 48 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Mathews County, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.0 years — 43 storms over the 172 years from 1854 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Mathews County, Virginia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Northampton County, Virginia has 44 on record.

Northampton County, Virginia44 storms within 50 mi York County, Virginia43 storms within 50 mi Middlesex County, Virginia41 storms within 50 mi Accomack County, Virginia41 storms within 50 mi Gloucester County, Virginia40 storms within 50 mi