Powhatan County, Virginia Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 22 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Powhatan County, Virginia — about one every 7.6 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Jeanne (2004), which passed 10 miles away on 28 September 2004.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

7.6

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 · 1Cat 1 · 2TS / TD · 19

The 22 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentJeanne (2004) — 10 mi away, 28 September 2004
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1878) — 85 kt (98 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1886) — 7.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles9 of 22
Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (45% of all)
Most active year1893 — 2 storms
Most active decade1880s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1859–2004

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Powhatan County, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 10 of the 22 recorded storms (45%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 86% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 0 of the 22 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	0	1	2	5	10	4	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2000s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 3 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Jeanne (2004)	28 Sep 2004	10.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Ivan (2004)	18 Sep 2004	24.2 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Isabel (2003)	19 Sep 2003	18.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Bret (1981)	1 Jul 1981	42.5 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Bob (1979)	14 Jul 1979	26.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	17 Sep 1976	38.3 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Ginger (1971)	2 Oct 1971	26.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	22.1 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Diane (1955)	18 Aug 1955	47.7 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	2 Aug 1944	17.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	46.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Aug 1915	42.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	31 Oct 1899	23.3 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	13 Oct 1893	20.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	29 Aug 1893	46.7 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Sep 1888	39.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	23 Jun 1886	7.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1883)	12 Sep 1883	9.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Sep 1882	40.3 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	46.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	17 Sep 1876	34.1 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	44.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 13 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 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Ophelia (2023)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 2023	22.3 mi	23 kt
Zeta (2020)	Post-tropical	29 Oct 2020	23.4 mi	45 kt
Cindy (2005)	Post-tropical	8 Jul 2005	25.1 mi	21 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 2000	21.1 mi	21 kt
Hazel (1954)	Post-tropical	15 Oct 1954	10.4 mi	77 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	Post-tropical	18 Sep 1945	8.9 mi	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1929)	Post-tropical	2 Oct 1929	22.9 mi	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 1928	26.5 mi	53 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1859–2025. 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 Powhatan County, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Powhatan County, Virginia ranks #739 — more exposed than 66.5% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #51 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 47 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 20 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1876) passed 34 miles away on 17 September 1876 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Isabel (2003) passed 18 miles away on 19 September 2003 as a hurricane, reaching 62 kt (71 mph) while within 50 miles.

18 of the 22 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 7.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 22 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 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 22 years, between 1981 and 2003. It has been 21 years since the last one; 1 of the 19 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Powhatan County, Virginia?

4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Powhatan County, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 22.

When was the last hurricane in Powhatan County, Virginia?

Isabel (2003), on 19 September 2003, passing 18 miles away — 23 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Jeanne (2004) in 2004.

What was the strongest storm to affect Powhatan County, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1878), which reached 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 47 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Powhatan County, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 7.6 years — 22 storms over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Powhatan County, Virginia borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Henrico County, Virginia has 30 on record.

Henrico County, Virginia30 storms within 50 mi Chesterfield County, Virginia30 storms within 50 mi Amelia County, Virginia23 storms within 50 mi Goochland County, Virginia21 storms within 50 mi Cumberland County, Virginia19 storms within 50 mi