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Charlottesville city, Virginia severe weather history spans 80 recorded events between 1977 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,958 nationally and #113 in Virginia.
80
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$816K
Property damage
The record
What the Charlottesville city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Charlottesville city, Virginia severe weather history averages 1.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 39 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 3 events fall before 1990 and 77 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $500K 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 Charlottesville city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 49 | 0 | $311K | 61 | 1983–2025 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | $0 | 1.5 | 1977–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2003 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2018 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $500K | F1 | 2000–2000 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Charlottesville 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: 0 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-05-13 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Charlottesville city
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 0 | 3 | $18K |
| Apr 26, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| May 13, 2000 | Tornado | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 0 | 1 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Ongoing flooding intensified to flash flooding along Moores Creek. A pedestrian bridge connecting Sunset Avenue and Sunset Avenue Extension was washed away. Water was reported to be four to five feet up on the outside of a home near the creek, and floodwaters pushed into Azalea Park, washing away parts of the playground and damaging fencing.
In Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, heavy rain and high winds left downed trees and power lines. There were also several reports of trees downed and funnel cloud sightings on and near the University of Virginia campus. Two cars were also damaged when trees fell on them. General damage estimates, according to local media accounts, were in the thousands. Also, some low-lying areas experienced minor flooding. A business in the city of Charlottesville reported 6 inches of standing water near the entrance to the building at the front door.
In Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, heavy rain and high winds left downed trees and power lines. There were also several reports of trees downed and funnel cloud sightings on and near the University of Virginia campus. Two cars were also damaged when trees fell on them. General damage estimates, according to local media accounts, were in the thousands. Also, some low-lying areas experienced minor flooding. A business in the city of Charlottesville reported 6 inches of standing water at the building door.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,437
Population (ACS)
$487K
Median home value
13
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 |
| Jul 27, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Charlottesville city, Virginia?
80 events are on record between 1977 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $816K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Charlottesville city?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 49 recorded events — 61.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Charlottesville city?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 0 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Charlottesville city?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Charlottesville city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Charlottesville city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Charlottesville city as very low risk, placing it in the 24 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Charlottesville 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
- Buena Vista city 27
- Chesapeake city 330
- Bristol city 63
- Alexandria city 167
- Colonial Heights city 82
- Covington city 25
Cite this page
“Charlottesville city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/charlottesville-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.