Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Northampton; Hertford; Gates; Pasquotank; Camden; Western Currituck; Bertie; Chowan; Perquimans; Caroline; Brunswick; Dinwiddie; Prince George; Charles City; New Kent; Greensville; Sussex; Surry; James City; Southampton; Chesapeake; Western Hanover; Eastern Hanover; Western Chesterfield; Eastern Chesterfield (Including Col. Heights); Western Henrico (Including the City of Richmond); Eastern Henrico; Western King William; Eastern King William; Western King and Queen; Eastern King and Queen; Isle of Wight; Suffolk
Colonial Heights city, Virginia severe weather history spans 82 recorded events between 1979 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 34.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,947 nationally and #112 in Virginia.
82
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
21
Direct injuries
$3.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Colonial Heights city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Colonial Heights city, Virginia severe weather history averages 1.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 29 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 3 events fall before 1990 and 79 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $2.0M 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 Colonial Heights city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 28 | 0 | $280K | 52 | 1983–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 22 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 14 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Hail | 11 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1979–2017 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2018 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $2.0M | EF1 | 2008–2008 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Colonial Heights city, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 21 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Colonial Heights city
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2008 | Tornado | COLONIAL HGTS | 0 | 21 | $2.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Colonial Heights sustained significant damage as wind gusts up to 60 mph (52 knots) were reported. Emergency Managers reported numerous trees and electric wires were down with most of the city without power. The most significant damage was sustained by six homes from falling trees. A large tree was also downed, blocking the Southpark Mall exit on Interstate 95.
Approximately 20 homes received minor to moderate damage. One apartment complex with about 10 units sustained moderate damage. One business received major damage, while another business sustained minor damage. Numerous trees down.
Extensive damage was reported across the city of Colonial Heights with multiple large trees down, especially in the area of Southpark Mall. In addition, multiple power lines and traffic signals were downed. Widespread power outages were reported in the city.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,352
Population (ACS)
$247K
Median home value
15
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 |
| Sep 3, 2011 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRENE | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Colonial Hgts 134
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Colonial Heights city, Virginia?
82 events are on record between 1979 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Colonial Heights city?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 28 recorded events — 34.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Colonial Heights city?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Colonial Heights city?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Colonial Heights city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Colonial Heights city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Colonial Heights city as very low risk, placing it in the 6 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Colonial Heights city, 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
- Covington city 25
- Chesapeake city 330
- Danville city 159
- Emporia city 60
- Charlottesville city 80
- Fairfax city 59
Cite this page
“Colonial Heights city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/colonial-heights-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.