Mathews County, Virginia severe weather history spans 124 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,800 nationally and #103 in Virginia.
124
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$598K
Property damage
The record
What the Mathews County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mathews County, Virginia severe weather history averages 1.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 37 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 112 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $332K 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 Mathews County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 57 | 0 | $164K | 74 | 1976–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 32 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2022 |
| Hail | 8 | 0 | $0 | 1.25 | 1957–2023 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $332K | F1 | 1975–2012 |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2000–2003 |
Decade by decade
Mathews County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 touched down inside it and 5 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 |
| 2008-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-04-25 | EF1 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-02-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-07-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-03-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Crossed in |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning struck a home on Gwynn's Island and caused a fire that caused major damage. A two-car garage and a room above the garage were destroyed and the home was damaged by smoke. A car parked outside was destroyed and several family pets died from smoke inhalation.
An NWS survey team determined that damage near Ginny Point Marina was consistent with winds from severe thunderstorm straight-line winds of 80 miles per hour. Other locations across the county saw significant tree damage which was likely from straight-line winds of 65 to 75 miles per hour.
National Weather Service Storm Survey determined the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado. The tornado began at White Cemetery and moved east northeast by the Davis Road Marina and ended on Route 14 just north of Bavon. Several trees were downed and a number of trees had branches and limbs broken off. Several buildings had minor roof damage and an older building by the marina had damage to a wall.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,540
Population (ACS)
$361K
Median home value
20
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 |
| Oct 15, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | DR |
| Sep 11, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM |
| Nov 26, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mathews County, Virginia?
124 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $598K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mathews County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 57 recorded events — 46.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mathews County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mathews County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mathews County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mathews County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mathews County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mathews 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
- Madison County 367
- Mecklenburg County 357
- Lunenburg County 199
- Middlesex County 169
- Louisa County 344
- Montgomery County 513
Cite this page
“Mathews County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/mathews-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.