Portsmouth city, Virginia severe weather history spans 157 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 35.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,669 nationally and #98 in Virginia.
157
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$5.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Portsmouth city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Portsmouth city, Virginia severe weather history averages 2.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 53 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 5 events fall before 1990 and 152 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $3.0M 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 Portsmouth city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 55 | 0 | $154K | 75 | 1977–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 30 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Hail | 25 | 0 | $25K | 1.75 | 1996–2016 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $3.0M | 0 | 2011–2020 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $2.6M | F1 | 1959–2008 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $185K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Waterspout | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Portsmouth city, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 200 | 24.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-11-03 | EF1 | 0 | 4 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-08-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Portsmouth city
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | PORTSMOUTH | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado moved from northeast Suffolk across northern portions of Portsmouth. The tornado maintained close contact with the ground and downed several trees and produced some structural damage. While in Suffolk, the tornado was rated as EF3, but in Portsmouth it was rated as EF1.
A personal weather station measured a gust to 80 mph (70 knots). A video also showed the intense wind. There were snapped trees, branches down, and a pop up camper thrown by the wind. Additionally, approximately 50 to 75 egrets were killed by the storm. The wind lasted around 60 to 80 seconds.
The combination of two to four inches of rain occurring at the same time as high tide produced flooding across portions of the area. Numerous roads were closed due to high water. There were reports of more than two dozen disabled vehicles.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
97,190
Population (ACS)
$247K
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
- Portsmouth 210
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Portsmouth city, Virginia?
157 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Portsmouth city?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 55 recorded events — 35.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Portsmouth city?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Portsmouth city?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Portsmouth city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Portsmouth city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Portsmouth city as relatively low risk, placing it in the 54 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Portsmouth 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
- Poquoson city 11
- Petersburg city 112
- Radford city 52
- Norton city 39
- Richmond city 232
- Norfolk city 319
Cite this page
“Portsmouth city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/portsmouth-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.