Hanover County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51085 · population 109,963 · 468 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 567 records for Hanover County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 358 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (235 records). The deadliest single record is the August 30, 2004 flash flood: 2 deaths and $3.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1969, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 23, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 567on 358 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 42 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Hanover County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 235 since 1975. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Virginia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 235 | 142 | 1975-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.2M | 48 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 130 | 108 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $276K | 46 of 96 |
| Hail | 63 | 44 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 45 of 96 |
| Floods | 46 | 36 | 1998-2025 | 2 | 0 | $3.3M | 63 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 43 | 37 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 16 | 1959-2022 | 2 | 0 | $2.3M | 22 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 6 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 5 | 1999-2018 | 0 | 0 | $66K | 79 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 3 | 2003-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 96 |
| Heat | 5 | 4 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 96 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $194K | 39 of 96 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 66 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2003-2011 | 0 | 0 | $656K | 38 of 96 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Hanover County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Hanover County from 1959 to 2022, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 22nd of 96 Virginia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 17 tornadoes whose track touched Hanover County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-01 18:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 5 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Hanover County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-27 | Mabelton, Hanover County | EF0 8.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2018-09-17 | Atlee, Hanover County | EF0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-17 | Rockville, Hanover County | EF1 0.69 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2015-06-27 | Atlee, Hanover County | EF0 3.59 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2012-06-30 | Studley, Hanover County | EF0 6.17 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2012-06-01 | Hanover County | EF0 1.78 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-28 | Coatesville, Hanover County | EF1 2.54 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2010-10-27 | Mechanicsville, Hanover County | EF0 6.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $677K |
| 2008-04-20 | Westwood, Hanover County | EF0 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2005-01-14 | Coatesville, Hanover County | F0 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2004-09-17 | Hanover County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2004-08-30 | Westwood, Hanover County | F0 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2003-09-23 | Studley, Hanover County | F1 2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2000-05-19 | Studley, Hanover County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-01 | Coatesville, Hanover County | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 1985-07-25 | Hanover County | F0 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-07 | Hanover County | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Hanover County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBeaver Dam, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindCoatesville, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindCoatesville, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindNegro Foot, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindAshland, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindMabelton, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindMechanicsville, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindFarrington, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindGum Tree, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindTyler, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindHylas, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindRockville, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-08-30 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hanover County Rainfall amounts between 5 and 11 inches resulted in numerous road closures due to flooding. | 2 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 1998-04-01 | TornadoCoatesville, Hanover County | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2000-12-17 | Thunderstorm WindAshland, Hanover County A strong thunderstorm wind gust blew a tree down on a car on Interstate 95 at mile marker 88. Two occupants of the vehicle suffered minor injuries. | 0 | 2 | $9K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-01 | DroughtHanover County · forecast zone Hanover | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1998-04-01 | TornadoCoatesville, Hanover County | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2011-08-27 | Tropical StormHanover County · forecast zone Hanover | 0 | 0 | $656K | |
| 2013-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindMechanicsville, Hanover County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2011-04-28 | TornadoCoatesville, Hanover County | EF1 2.54 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2022-05-27 | TornadoMabelton, Hanover County | EF0 8.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2012-06-30 | TornadoStudley, Hanover County | EF0 6.17 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindFarrington, Hanover County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 7, 1959 (tornado, Hanover County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Hanover County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 34 | 36 | 69 | 83 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 41 | 54 | 23 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 26 | 19 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 18 | 19 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 21 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 59 · Feb 48 · Mar 35 · Apr 36 · May 55 · Jun 120 · Jul 72 · Aug 59 · Sep 33 · Oct 13 · Nov 15 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hanover County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Hanover County: 14 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2022-03-11 | DR-4644 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2021-05-10 | DR-4602 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4512 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3448 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-09-11 | EM-3403 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-03 | DR-1544 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1999-09-18 | DR-1293 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1976-10-15 | EM-3018 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1969-08-23 | DR-274 | Hurricane | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Hanover County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 46 flood or flash flood records for Hanover County from 1998 to 2025, on 36 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hanover County ranks 1784th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $625,000 on 39 claims filed in Hanover County; the most in one year was 8 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 7 · 2004: 8 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Hanover County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hanover County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $28.5 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.9M | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $226K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $502K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $4.0M | once in about 361 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $15M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $870K | 4.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.1M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hanover County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in VirginiaEvery Virginia tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in VirginiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Virginia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Hanover CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hanover County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis