Prince William County, Virginia Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1876, 19 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Prince William County, Virginia — about one every 7.9 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ivan (2004), which passed 38 miles away on 18 September 2004.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentIvan (2004) — 38 mi away, 18 September 2004
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1878) — 81 kt (93 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1883) — 3.9 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles9 of 19
- Peak monthAugust — 7 storms (37% of all)
- Most active year1893 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1890s and 1930s — 3 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1876–2004
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan (2004) | 18 Sep 2004 | 38.2 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Dennis (1999) | 7 Sep 1999 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Beryl (1994) | 18 Aug 1994 | 48.0 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Bret (1981) | 1 Jul 1981 | 40.5 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Diane (1955) | 18 Aug 1955 | 27.7 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Able (1952) | 1 Sep 1952 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 29 Aug 1949 | 30.6 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1943) | 1 Oct 1943 | 44.7 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 19 Aug 1939 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 4 Sep 1934 | 22.8 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1933) | 24 Aug 1933 | 15.1 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 4 Aug 1915 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 23 Oct 1893 | 44.7 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 14 Oct 1893 | 33.5 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 29 Aug 1893 | 19.1 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 23 Jun 1886 | 37.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1883) | 13 Sep 1883 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1878) | 23 Oct 1878 | 24.2 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1876) | 18 Sep 1876 | 5.3 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 14 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 | 24.1 mi | 20 kt |
| Ida (2021) | Post-tropical | 1 Sep 2021 | 39.2 mi | 32 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | Post-tropical | 29 Oct 2020 | 47.0 mi | 45 kt |
| Ernesto (2006) | Post-tropical | 2 Sep 2006 | 42.1 mi | 40 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | Post-tropical | 8 Jul 2005 | 37.1 mi | 23 kt |
| Chris (1988) | Post-tropical | 29 Aug 1988 | 27.9 mi | 20 kt |
| Hazel (1954) | Post-tropical | 15 Oct 1954 | 8.3 mi | 73 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | Post-tropical | 18 Sep 1945 | 38.0 mi | 35 kt |
How Prince William County, Virginia compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Prince William County, Virginia ranks #836 — more exposed than 62.1% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #67 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 24 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 33 miles away on 14 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1876) passed 5 miles away on 18 September 1876 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 15 miles away on 24 August 1933 as a tropical storm, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
18 of the 19 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 7.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 19 storms spread over the 150 years from 1876 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 26 years, between 1955 and 1981. It has been 21 years since the last one; 2 of the 16 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Prince William County, Virginia?
2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Prince William County, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1876. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 19.
When was the last hurricane in Prince William County, Virginia?
Unnamed Storm (1893), on 14 October 1893, passing 33 miles away — 133 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ivan (2004) in 2004.
What was the strongest storm to affect Prince William County, Virginia?
Unnamed Storm (1878), which reached 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Prince William County, Virginia?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 7.9 years — 19 storms over the 150 years from 1876 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Prince William County, Virginia borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Charles County, Maryland has 22 on record.