Climate of Virginia - Severe Weather

Severe Weather

Severe weather is a concern in Virginia. Hurricanes make the coastal area of Virginia vulnerable. It is rare for a major hurricane to threaten the Virginia coast as hurricanes this far north tend to weaken due to cooler coast waters and increasingly westerly winds aloft. Heavy rain from tropical cyclones remains a concern, however. Hurricane Isabel in 2003 brought much destruction from wind and rain, killing 10 directly and doing nearly two billion dollars in damage. Hurricane Gaston in 2004 inundated Richmond after moving ashore South Carolina. Virginia is often struck with the remnants of systems which hit along the Gulf of Mexico coastline, which also bring torrential rain to the state. Hurricane Camille was an extreme example, bringing 27 inches (690 mm) of rainfall to portions of Nelson county in a matter of hours. Thunderstorms are an occasional concern with the state averaging anywhere from 30–50 days of thunderstorm activity annually, with the highest area of occurrence going towards the west.

Virginia averages seven tornadoes annually, though most are F2 and lower on the Fujita scale. However in 2004, Virginia had eighty-five in one year. Eastern Virginia has a lower rate of tornadoes, and the state averages around 2 tornadoes per year.