Norfolk city, Virginia severe weather history spans 319 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 33.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,669 nationally and #41 in Virginia.
319
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$81.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Norfolk city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Norfolk city, Virginia severe weather history averages 4.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 101 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 28 events fall before 1990 and 291 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Norfolk city, Virginia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $50.4M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Norfolk city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 106 | 1 | $50.4M | 85 | 1960–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 82 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 52 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $10.0M | 1.75 | 1977–2024 |
| Tornado | 12 | 1 | $1.6M | F1 | 1957–2014 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $19.0M | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $47K | 0 | 1996–2012 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2000 |
Decade by decade
Norfolk city, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
11 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 2 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 | EF3 | 0 | 200 | 24.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-07-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-11-03 | EF1 | 0 | 4 | 11.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-08-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-04-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 22.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-07-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-09-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Norfolk city
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | (NGU)NAS NORFOLK | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| Aug 11, 2001 | Lightning | OCEAN VIEW | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 8, 1962 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| Feb 11, 2012 | Lightning | NORFOLK | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 1, 1997 | Hail | NORFOLK | 0 | 2 | $10.0M |
| Aug 26, 1996 | Lightning | NORFOLK | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Sep 9, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | OCEAN VIEW | 0 | 1 | $2K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado path started in south Norfolk just south of Poindexter Street on Guerriere Street. The tornado then continued north-northeast into the Berkley Avenue Industrial Park before crossing into the southern portion of Norfolk and lifting after causing damage on Roseclair and Joyce Streets. One business, a car wash was destroyed, and six sustained major roof damage. One home was damaged in Chesapeake, with damage to a couple of additional structures in the Roseclair and Joyce Street areas of Norfolk.
The tornado maintained close contact with the ground as it moved from northern Portsmouth to the Norfolk Naval Air Station. The tornado damaged vehicles and a building at Pier 2, and numerous trees were blown down or snapped off. The tornado remained rated as EF1 from northern Portsmouth to the Norfolk Naval Air Station.
A severe thunderstorm hit downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth as the OpSail 2000 Festival was ending, sending vendors scurrying to fold tents and spectators running for cover. Several tall ships broke free of their moorings and several sailors were knocked into the Elizabeth River. Part of a brick wall was knocked down at Bute and Botetourt Streets, and another wall partially collapsed at a building on Front Street in Norfolk. A large tree fell into the Painted Lady Restaurant at 17th and Monticello Avenue in Norfolk. Winds at Nauticus – The National Maritime Museum at Waterside in Downtown Norfolk, were measured at 77 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
233,596
Population (ACS)
$290K
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 |
| Nov 2, 2016 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MATTHEW | DR |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Norfolk 358
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Norfolk city, Virginia?
319 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $81.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Norfolk city?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 106 recorded events — 33.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Norfolk city?
11 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Norfolk city?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Norfolk city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Norfolk city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Norfolk city as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 81 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Norfolk 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
- Newport News city 238
- Norton city 39
- Martinsville city 108
- Petersburg city 112
- Manassas Park city 14
- Poquoson city 11
Cite this page
“Norfolk city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/norfolk-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.