Strong Wind in Virginia
Every strong wind event the National Weather Service has filed in Virginia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
The most significant on the map
The most significant strong wind episodes in Virginia.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 587
- Deaths
- 9
- Injuries
- 39
- Damage
- $4.6 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Virginia, October 11 to 15, 2018Hurricane Michael made landfall along the Florida panhandle as major hurricane (Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale) on Wednesday afternoon, October 10th, 2018, then tracked northeastward with the northern portion of the storm circulation tracking across portions of…
- Tornadoes and Hail in Virginia, February 24, 2016A strong surface low was located over Western TN in the morning. A wedge was in place over the region and expected to be eroded by a strong low level jet.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Virginia, April 15 to 16, 2011A strong closed upper level low pressure moved across the Ohio valley, producing a variety of extreme weather across southwest Virginia. In advance of this system,|strong southeast winds produced wind damage across the higher elevations.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 12, 2026A cold front moved slowly southward through the Mid-Atlantic, triggering scattered thunderstorms with heavy rainfall rates and severe weather. While shear was not very high (<30 knots), the atmosphere was considerably unstable with SBCAPE values of at least 2000 J/kg.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, September 14 to 20, 2018Hurricane Florence made landfall on the far southeast North Carolina coast on September 14th and tracked very slowly across South Carolina before slowly re-curving across far western North Carolina and southwest Virginia as Tropical Depression and on into the Ohio Valley.
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Virginia, September 30, 2022Remnants of Hurricane Ian moved north-northwest from the South Carolina coast into the Virginia Piedmont and Southside counties. Ian was classified as a post-tropical system by the time it reached central and southwest Virginia during the late hours of September 30th, 2022.
- Winter Storm and Strong Wind in Virginia, February 12 to 14, 2007A low pressure system moved out of the Southern Plains and strengthened off the southeast coast February 12th through 14th, bringing accumulating wintry precipitation to much of northern Virginia beginning during the afternoon and evening hours of February 12th and continued…
- Strong Wind in Virginia, December 31, 2008The combination of intense low pressure departing to the northeast and cold high pressure building in from the west, produced strong winds and some minor wind damage across portions of central and eastern Virginia.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 2 to 3, 2018Intense low pressure spinning off the southern New England coast produced strong northerly winds across portions of central Virginia. The strong winds downed several trees, produced some structural damage, and caused scattered power outages.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, February 19, 2011Strong gradient wind caused a tree to be blown down across the Colonial Parkway in Jamestown in southeast Virginia. The falling tree struck a vehicle and killed the passenger of the vehicle.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, February 24, 2012Strong winds knocked down a tree which struck and killed a man in Goochland county.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 5, 2012Strong winds gusted up to around 50 mph in the wake of a rapidly deepening low pressure area that swept through the region.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, November 13, 2003A strong cold front moved through the region early on the 13th, leaving behind frigid temperatures and strong winds. Widespread damage due to downed trees and power lines resulted. In Northern Virginia at least two people were injured.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Virginia, October 25, 2021Thunderstorms developed in advance of a potent cold front. Many of these storms increased to severe levels and generated damaging winds and an isolated tornado.|The storm that spawned the EF-1 tornado near Elmo in Halifax County evolved into a bow echo and produced winds…
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 31, 1997A nor'easter, languishing off the middle Atlantic coast, produced sustained winds between 25 and 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph or higher over much of northern Virginia. The winds caused scattered damage to buildings under construction, roofs, and trees and power lines.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Virginia, December 24 to 25, 2020Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a strong cold front produced damaging winds and two tornadoes across portions of eastern and southeast Virginia.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 18, 1997A rapidly developing heavy-precipitation supercell produced several instances of severe weather over portions of the northern Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont regions of Virginia during the late afternoon and evening of the 18th.
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Virginia, October 28 to 31, 2012Hurricane Sandy moved north off the Atlantic Coast and combined with a complex low pressure system and deepening trough over the eastern part of the U.S., and then turned west northwest and into New Jersey into Pennsylvania, slowing down and then drifting north.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, August 8 to 10, 2024The remnants of Hurricane Debbie moved north toward the area on August 8th, 2024. A strong southeast flow of wind on the system's northern extent, along with wet soils due to heavy rainfall, helped to cause downed trees and power lines over portions of Virginia.
- Extreme Cold and High Wind in Virginia, December 23 to 24, 2022In advance of the arrival of a strong, cold Arctic high pressure system, northwest winds were strong to damaging across the region with gusts within the 58 to 64 mph range during the morning of the 23rd.
- Winter Storm and Strong Wind in Virginia, February 14 to 16, 2016A strong winter storm took a favorable track for heavy snow and a wintry mix, moving from the southeast U.S. into New England. This resulted in widespread heavy snow across southwest Virginia.
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 15, 2018Strong winds were channeled through the narrow terrain features along Interstate-77, northbound, near mile marker two. The resultant localized much stronger gusts blew three semi-tractor trailer trucks on their side. There were no injuries.
- Flooding and High Wind in Virginia, April 15 to 16, 2007A Nor'Easter impacted the Mid Atlantic region on April 15th and 16th. Low pressure off the southeastern coast moved north along the Delmarva. Heavy rain spread north across the region early April 15th, causing flooding by the afternoon and evening.
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Virginia, February 14 to 15, 2015A very strong Arctic cold front plunged southward through the region during the afternoon and evening of the 14th. Very strong northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 62 mph were noted across much of the forecast area behind the front.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Virginia, September 25 to 27, 2024An upper level low was situated in the vicinity of western Tennessee, while a strong upper ridge was positioned over the southeast coast, which helped to steer Hurricane Helene into the Florida Big Bend during the evening of September 26.
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Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.