Richmond city, Virginia Hurricane History

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

Since 1859, 30 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Richmond city, Virginia — about one every 5.6 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 39 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.6

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 · 3TS / TD · 26

The 30 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 39 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1878) — 85 kt (98 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1899) — 4.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles13 of 30
Peak monthSeptember — 15 storms (50% of all)
Most active year2004 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s — 6 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1859–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Richmond city, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 15 of the 30 recorded storms (50%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 83% of all activity. The 1880s was the most active decade on record, with 6 storms. 0 of the 30 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	5	5	15	4	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: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	0	3	6	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	1	3	2	1	5	0	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	38.7 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Isaias (2020)	4 Aug 2020	31.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Hanna (2008)	6 Sep 2008	30.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Jeanne (2004)	28 Sep 2004	15.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Ivan (2004)	18 Sep 2004	36.2 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Gaston (2004)	30 Aug 2004	48.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Isabel (2003)	19 Sep 2003	36.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	47.3 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Dean (1983)	30 Sep 1983	40.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Bret (1981)	1 Jul 1981	31.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Bob (1979)	14 Jul 1979	18.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	17 Sep 1976	46.7 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Ginger (1971)	2 Oct 1971	21.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	24.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	2 Aug 1944	7.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	23.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	38.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	15 Sep 1904	42.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	31 Oct 1899	4.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	13 Oct 1893	43.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	24 Sep 1889	48.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Sep 1888	20.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	2 Jul 1886	34.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	23 Jun 1886	12.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1883)	12 Sep 1883	15.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Sep 1882	25.0 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	24.1 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	17 Sep 1876	10.6 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	47.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	32.6 mi	TS / TD	52 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 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Chantal (2025)	Remnant low	7 Jul 2025	34.8 mi	25 kt
Ophelia (2023)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 2023	1.8 mi	22 kt
Zeta (2020)	Post-tropical	29 Oct 2020	42.9 mi	45 kt
Ernesto (2006)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2006	34.0 mi	40 kt
Cindy (2005)	Post-tropical	8 Jul 2005	36.1 mi	22 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 2000	2.2 mi	22 kt
Danny (1985)	Post-tropical	19 Aug 1985	45.4 mi	25 kt
Hazel (1954)	Post-tropical	15 Oct 1954	26.7 mi	77 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 Richmond city, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Richmond city, Virginia ranks #536 — more exposed than 75.7% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #38 of 133, against a state average of 23.5 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 24 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 44 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 38 miles away on 23 August 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1876) passed 11 miles away on 17 September 1876 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.

25 of the 30 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 30 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 29 years, between 1904 and 1933. It has been 4 years since the last one; 10 of the 26 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Richmond city, Virginia?

5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Richmond city, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 30.

When was the last hurricane in Richmond city, Virginia?

Isabel (2003), on 19 September 2003, passing 37 miles away — 23 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.

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

Unnamed Storm (1878), which reached 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Richmond city, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.6 years — 30 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

Richmond city, Virginia borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Colonial Heights city, Virginia has 31 on record.

Colonial Heights city, Virginia31 storms within 50 mi Henrico County, Virginia30 storms within 50 mi Chesterfield County, Virginia30 storms within 50 mi Hanover County, Virginia25 storms within 50 mi