Gloucester County, Virginia severe weather history spans 210 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,386 nationally and #76 in Virginia.
210
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
28
Direct injuries
$8.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Gloucester County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Gloucester County, Virginia severe weather history averages 3.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 64 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 16 events fall before 1990 and 194 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Gloucester County, Virginia record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Gloucester County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 96 | 0 | $262K | 65 | 1974–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 53 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Hail | 33 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 17 | 2 | $8.4M | F1 | 1975–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Gloucester County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-16 | EF3 | 2 | 24 | 26.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-08-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-04-25 | EF1 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-08-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2018-10-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-10-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Gloucester County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2011 | Tornado | COKE | 2 | 24 | $7.7M |
| Apr 25, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado tracked from York county into Gloucester county. The worst damage (EF2 and EF3 intensity) was in the southern part of Gloucester county near Clopton. A total of 15 homes were destroyed by the tornado, with an additional 29 homes sustaining major damage. Nearly 100 other structures sustained minor damage, or were affected by the tornado or the associated debris. Page Middle School was also severely damaged, with large parts of the school rendered unusable. School buses were overturned and tossed around by the tornado. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, with a number of other trees sheared off.
A damage survey conducted by the NWS Wakefield office found a path of storm damage consistent with an EF1 tornado. The tornado likely developed as a waterspout over the York River, then moved onshore at Middle Peninsula State Park. The tornado then quickly tracked north northwest, crossing over Rosewell Plantation, Gum Point Lane and Taliaferro Lane. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted in this area consistent with EF1 damage. Some roof materials and siding were also removed from homes in this area. The tornado then briefly moved over the York River again before crossing over Hermitage Lane and Primrose Path where additional snapped trees were observed. The tornado continued to move north northwest before lifting near Cappahosic Road.
Damage began near Starvation Road and ended near Willis Road near Petsworth Elementary School. Multiple trees sheared off or blown over. Structural damage included one large tree on a house and roofs blown off horse stables.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
39,526
Population (ACS)
$331K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 11, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Aug 26, 2011 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRENE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Gloucester County, Virginia?
210 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $8.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Gloucester County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 96 recorded events — 45.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Gloucester County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Gloucester County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Gloucester County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Gloucester County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gloucester County as very low risk, placing it in the 23 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Gloucester County, Virginia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Giles County 294
- Goochland County 242
- Frederick County 514
- Grayson County 232
- Franklin County 760
- Greene County 279
Cite this page
“Gloucester County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/gloucester-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.