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Chesterfield County, Virginia severe weather history spans 626 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #521 nationally and #11 in Virginia.
626
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$13.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Chesterfield County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Chesterfield County, Virginia severe weather history averages 9.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 254 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 events fall before 1990 and 593 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Chesterfield County, Virginia record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Chesterfield County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 306 | 0 | $1.1M | 75 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 115 | 0 | $10K | 3 | 1962–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 96 | 1 | $5.2M | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 66 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 17 | 1 | $7.1M | F2 | 1961–2018 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $220K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2022 |
Decade by decade
Chesterfield County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-05-04 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2018-09-17 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-08-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-06-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 21 | 1.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-07-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-07-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Chesterfield County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2018 | Tornado | BEACH | 1 | 1 | $1.0M |
| Aug 30, 2004 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Dec 1, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Jun 16, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 8, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jun 28, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | QUAIL OAKS | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| May 6, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Beginning in Winterpock, the tornado started as a weak EF1 before moving into a residential area north of River Road. The tornado reached peak intensity (EF2) when it crossed Hull Street Road. At this point, it took off the roof of Gabe's and damaged several other businesses. After crossing Hull Street Road, it destroyed the Old Dominion Warehouse, where one person was killed and one was injured. It remained an EF2 until about Gregwood Drive, completely destroying trees and damaging other structures. It then quickly weakened to an EF0 as it reached Powhite Parkway, and continued as an EF0 toward Route 60 in Bon Air.
Numerous trees were downed throughout the county. The most significant wind damage was a downed tree onto a home in Grove Place which severely damaged the home. Wind damage was also sustained to a warehouse in Woods Edge. Additional tree damage was along VA-602 near Exter Mill Road, Cattail Road near Rowlett Road, Reedy Branch Road, Route 10 at Old Bermuda Hundres Road, and Brandermill Parkway. A large downed tree closed the intersection at Rochelle Road and Wooddale Road. Another large tree fell onto a fence in Mistwood Forest Drive near Happy Hill Road.
The tornado touched down near Route 10, 4 miles north of Colonial Heights and moved northeast into the Rivers Bend subdivision. It produced widespread tree damage and only minor roof and window damage to the homes. It then moved across a bridge on Interstate 295 where it knocked over two tractor-trailer trucks and two smaller trucks. Five people were injured. The tornado weakened as it moved northeast across southeast Henrico County and the northwest corner of Charles City County, dissipating in the western part of New Kent County.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
377,869
Population (ACS)
$366K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 10, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Dec 18, 2018 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM MICHAEL | DR |
| Oct 15, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Bon Air 116
- Midlothian 109
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Chesterfield County, Virginia?
626 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $13.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Chesterfield County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 306 recorded events — 48.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Chesterfield County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Chesterfield County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Chesterfield County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Chesterfield County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chesterfield County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 85 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Chesterfield 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
- Clarke County 309
- Charlotte County 359
- Craig County 97
- Charles City County 116
- Carroll County 366
- Culpeper County 481
Cite this page
“Chesterfield County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/chesterfield-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.