Suffolk city, Virginia Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 54 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suffolk city, Virginia — about one every 3.2 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 36 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.2

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 · 7TS / TD · 45

The 54 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 36 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 93 kt (107 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordAna (2015) — 2.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles25 of 54
Peak monthSeptember — 22 storms (41% of all)
Most active year1882 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s — 8 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 Suffolk city, Virginia, September is the most active month, with 22 of the 54 recorded storms (41%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 0 of the 54 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	8	12	22	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: 16 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
4	2	5	5	2	1	2	0	3	1	3	8	4	1	3	5	2	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	35.6 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Claudette (2021)	21 Jun 2021	48.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Isaias (2020)	4 Aug 2020	33.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	2.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Irene (2011)	27 Aug 2011	48.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Hanna (2008)	6 Sep 2008	40.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Gaston (2004)	30 Aug 2004	26.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	24.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Allison (2001)	16 Jun 2001	21.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Helene (2000)	23 Sep 2000	34.3 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	24.5 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Danny (1997)	24 Jul 1997	20.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	20.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Charley (1986)	18 Aug 1986	48.3 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Bob (1979)	15 Jul 1979	19.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Ginger (1971)	3 Oct 1971	40.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	15.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Alma (1970)	27 May 1970	24.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	30.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Doria (1967)	17 Sep 1967	43.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1967)	19 Jun 1967	18.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Cleo (1964)	1 Sep 1964	27.7 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	24 Jul 1964	48.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1963)	3 Jun 1963	37.9 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	24.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	8.7 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	2.6 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Ione (1955)	20 Sep 1955	42.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Connie (1955)	13 Aug 1955	28.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	14 Sep 1949	37.5 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	8.5 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	20.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	21.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	7 Sep 1916	24.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	6.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	15 Sep 1904	33.6 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	26.0 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Jun 1893	41.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	24 Sep 1889	25.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	2 Jul 1886	36.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	20.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	11 Sep 1882	49.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	12.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	48.4 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	24.9 mi	Cat 2	87 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	17 Sep 1876	36.9 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	21.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	25 Oct 1872	11.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	25.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	19.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	43.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	19 Aug 1856	29.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	21.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	41.7 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	40.2 mi	25 kt
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	21.2 mi	40 kt
Michael (2018)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 2018	10.3 mi	53 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	7 Jun 2013	20.4 mi	40 kt
Ernesto (2006)	Post-tropical	1 Sep 2006	27.8 mi	40 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	42.3 mi	50 kt
Danny (1985)	Post-tropical	19 Aug 1985	25.3 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	Post-tropical	18 Oct 1956	45.7 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	15.1 mi	62 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 Suffolk city, Virginia more than once.

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

How Suffolk city, Virginia compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Suffolk city, Virginia ranks #164 — more exposed than 92.6% of them. Within Virginia it ranks #1 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 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 25 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Connie (1955) passed 28 miles away on 13 August 1955 as a hurricane, reaching 76 kt (87 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1933) passed 22 miles away on 23 August 1933 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.

49 of the 54 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 54 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 8 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 17 years, between 1916 and 1933. It has been 4 years since the last one; 10 of the 45 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Suffolk city, Virginia?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suffolk city, Virginia at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 54.

When was the last hurricane in Suffolk city, Virginia?

Irene (2011), on 27 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 Suffolk city, Virginia?

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 48 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Suffolk city, Virginia?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.2 years — 54 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

Suffolk city, Virginia borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Camden County, North Carolina has 57 on record.

Camden County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Gates County, North Carolina56 storms within 50 mi Chesapeake city, Virginia53 storms within 50 mi Portsmouth city, Virginia52 storms within 50 mi Franklin city, Virginia49 storms within 50 mi Southampton County, Virginia49 storms within 50 mi Isle of Wight County, Virginia47 storms within 50 mi Newport News city, Virginia43 storms within 50 mi