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New Kent County, Virginia severe weather history spans 183 recorded events between 1981 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,539 nationally and #86 in Virginia.
183
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
The record
What the New Kent County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, New Kent County, Virginia severe weather history averages 4.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 60 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 174 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $1.1M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in New Kent County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 109 | 0 | $396K | 50 | 1983–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 27 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $653K | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Hail | 17 | 0 | $5K | 1.75 | 1981–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $1.1M | F1 | 1993–2018 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2018 |
Decade by decade
New Kent 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: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-10-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1993-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1993-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-10-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-08-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-08-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in New Kent County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1984 | 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
Tornado first touched down along Emmaus Church Road or Route 609 just into New Kent County north of U.S. Route 60. The NWS Storm Survey rated the tornado as an EF1 with winds estimated at 95 mph as it reached the Woodhaven Shores Subdivision on both sides of Kent Lake. According to county emergency management, over 30 homes were damaged in the Woodhaven Shores Subdivision on both sides of Kent Lake, primarily due to trees falling on homes. Damage was most extensive along and adjacent to Lakeshore Drive which surrounds Kent Lake. EF1 damage extended just to the north of Kent Lake and included two barns that were destroyed along Ashland Farm Road. The tornado then weakened to a high-end EF0 and turned northeast as it crossed north of Interstate 64. Damage at GW Watkins Elementary School included aluminum roofing panels that were popped off along with a few busted windows. EF0 damage was observed farther northeast with several trees downed or snapped off along Talleysville Road near Old River Road. The tornado lifted just before entering King William county.
A weak tornado touched down 3 miles northeast of Providence Forge and moved northeast to 4 miles southeast of the town of New Kent. The tornado traveled through mostly wooded area knocking down numerous trees but doing very little damage to property otherwise.
Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 50 knots (58 miles per hour) downed several trees throughout the county. A large tree was downed onto Eastbound Interstate 64 near Browns Corner, partially blocking traffic. A large tree was also downed at the New Kent Airport.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,105
Population (ACS)
$394K
Median home value
22
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 |
| Sep 11, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in New Kent County, Virginia?
183 events are on record between 1981 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in New Kent County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 109 recorded events — 59.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed New Kent County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover New Kent County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include New Kent County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is New Kent County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates New Kent County as very low risk, placing it in the 14 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the New Kent 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
- Nelson County 404
- Northampton County 132
- Montgomery County 513
- Northumberland County 173
- Middlesex County 169
- Nottoway County 249
Cite this page
“New Kent County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/new-kent-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.