Hopewell (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51670 · population 22,982 · 10 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 83 records for Hopewell (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 66 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (28 records). FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1972, 14 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
- 83on 66 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 016 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Hopewell (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 28 since 1981. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1981 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Hopewell (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 28 | 23 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 0 | $106K | – |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 20 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 15 | 11 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Floods | 10 | 9 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2000 | 0 | 1 | $9K | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2000-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1984-2004 | 0 | 15 | $7.1M | – |
| Winter storms | 2 | 2 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2K | – |
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 Hopewell (city) had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Hopewell (city) from 1984 to 2004, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 15 injuries recorded in the county. 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Hopewell (city) since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-05-08 15:25, as SPC files it | Hopewell | F3 | 5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Hopewell (city) (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-08-30 | Hopewell (city) | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 1984-05-08 | Hopewell (city) | F3 5 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 15 | $2.5M 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 Hopewell (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | HailHopewell (city) | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHopewell (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHopewell (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHopewell (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-26 | Flash FloodHopewell (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-26 | Flash FloodHopewell (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-28 | Coastal FloodPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | Excessive HeatPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | Excessive HeatPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-19 | Heavy SnowPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter StormPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2004-08-30 | TornadoHopewell (city) | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-05-08 | TornadoHopewell (city) | F3 5 mi x 1,500 yd | 0 | 15 | $2.5M step |
| 1998-05-08 | LightningHopewell (city) Twelve year old boy was struck by lightning at the Carter G. Woodson School. | 0 | 1 | – |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-19 | Heavy SnowPrince George County and 2 more · forecast zone Prince George | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 8, 1984 (tornado, Hopewell (city)).
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 Hopewell (city)'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 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1981 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 2 · Feb 6 · Mar 1 · Apr 10 · May 10 · Jun 12 · Jul 11 · Aug 14 · Sep 7 · Oct 6 · Nov 3 · Dec 1 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hopewell (city)
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Hopewell (city): 10 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1135 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-01-26 | DR-525 | Freezing | Ice Conditions |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
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 Hopewell (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 10 flood or flash flood records for Hopewell (city) from 2000 to 2026, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hopewell (city) ranks 2128th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $171,000 on 18 claims filed in Hopewell (city); the most in one year was 6 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1999: 2 · 2001: 2 · 2003: 6 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2020: 3; 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 Hopewell (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hopewell (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $720K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $389K | once in about 630 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $51K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $220K | 5.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $44K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $31K | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $415K | once in about 161 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $75K | 44 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hopewell (city)
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 Hopewell (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hopewell (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis