Suffolk (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51800 · population 94,179 · 399 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 389 records for Suffolk (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 284 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (153 records). The deadliest single record is the October 8, 2016 coastal flood, filed for the forecast zone Suffolk, which covers the county: 1 death and $12,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1972, 17 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
- 389on 284 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1218 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $164Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Suffolk (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 153 since 1962. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 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 | 153 | 110 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 2 | $690K | 60 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 54 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 6 | $104K | 83 of 96 |
| Hail | 45 | 34 | 1983-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 49 of 96 |
| Floods | 43 | 34 | 1999-2025 | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | 60 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 38 | 28 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 18 | 1959-2021 | 0 | 206 | $49M | 12 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 11 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $104M | 10 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 7 | 2008-2020 | 0 | 0 | $46K | 66 of 96 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 96 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 4 | $39K | 31 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2003-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 96 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | $8.7M | 78 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 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 Suffolk (city) had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Suffolk (city) from 1959 to 2021, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 206 injuries recorded in the county. That is 12th 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 22 tornadoes whose track touched Suffolk (city) since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 22, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Suffolk (city).
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-03-30 16:45, as SPC files it | SuffolkCrossed NC, VA | F2 | 21.9 mi | 1 |
| 2008-04-28 14:05, as SPC files it | Suffolk | EF3 | 24 mi | 0 |
| 1967-07-04 11:55, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Suffolk (city) (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-08 | Kings Fork, Suffolk (city) | EF0 0.89 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2021-07-08 | Leesville, Suffolk (city) | EF0 1.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2020-12-24 | Holland, Suffolk (city) | EF1 2.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $257K |
| 2020-12-24 | Cleopus, Suffolk (city) | EF1 0.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2020-08-04 | Skeeter Crossing, Suffolk (city) | EF0 11.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2020-08-04 | Whaleyville Airport, Suffolk (city) | EF1 21 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.6M |
| 2019-05-11 | Suffolk (city) | EF1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $404K |
| 2017-03-31 | Skeeter Crossing, Suffolk (city) | EF1 5.94 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2008-04-28 | Lummis, Suffolk (city) | EF3 16 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 200 | $41M |
| 2004-06-25 | Suffolk Airport, Suffolk (city) | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2004-06-25 | Cleopus, Suffolk (city) | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2003-02-22 | Kings Fork, Suffolk (city) | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2001-06-01 | Suffolk (city) | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2001-05-21 | Suffolk (city) | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 1995-11-11 | Suffolk (city) | F0 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $194K |
| 1993-08-06 | Nc Suffolk, Suffolk (city) | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1991-03-29 | Suffolk (city) | F0 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-03-30 | Suffolk (city) | F2 14.2 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-19 | Suffolk (city) | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-20 | Suffolk (city) | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-07-04 | Suffolk (city) | F3 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 1959-10-09 | Suffolk (city) | F2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Suffolk (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindSandy Bottom, Suffolk (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindElephant Fork, Suffolk (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-01 | Heavy SnowSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-12 | Coastal FloodSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-16 | Coastal FloodSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-21 | Coastal FloodSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-31 | Flash FloodSuffolk (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | Excessive HeatSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindMyrtle, Suffolk (city) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-23 | Excessive HeatSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindLummis, Suffolk (city) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-08 | Coastal FloodSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk Coastal storm tides of 2 to 3.5 feet above astronomical tide levels were common, with only minor beach erosion reported. The maximum storm tide reached 5.86 feet MLLW at Sewells Point, which resulted in moderate coastal flooding from Saturday evening into Sunday morning. | 1 | 0 | $12K | |
| 2008-04-28 | TornadoLummis, Suffolk (city) A tornado touched down with damage first noted about 2 miles northeast of Lummis. The tornado crossed Route 58, downing trees as it moved northeast. The tornado strengthened just south of the intersection of Route 10 AND Route 58, where it damaged several homes and an elementary school as well as downing numerous ... | EF3 16 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 200 | $41M |
| 2000-12-03 | Winter StormSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk A winter storm struck parts of extreme southern and southeastern Virginia. The storm affected a relatively small area, but the areas that had snow received some hefty totals. Some specific snow totals included: the Whaleyville section of Suffolk 12", Franklin 10", Carrsville 10", Branchville 7", the Blackwater section ... | 0 | 6 | $86K | |
| 1967-07-04 | TornadoSuffolk (city) | F3 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 5 | $25K step |
| 2024-08-08 | Thunderstorm WindWiles Corner, Suffolk (city) Large trees were downed on Pruden Boulevard north of Suffolk. Two minor injuries were reported as one tree was downed on a vehicle. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $9K |
| 1999-08-01 | LightningSuffolk (city) Several homes struck by lightning. Several people hospitalized. Occurred at Blue Teal Court. | 0 | 2 | $18K | |
| 2010-05-16 | LightningElwood, Suffolk (city) A 25 year old woman was struck by lightning on Ruritan Boulevard. CPR was performed on the victim immediately by her husband and she regained consciousness shortly thereafter. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2009-07-17 | LightningKings Fork, Suffolk (city) A person was struck by lightning near a utility pole at Pruden Boulevard and Lake Prince Drive. The injury was non-life threatening. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Suffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | $53M | |
| 2008-04-28 | TornadoLummis, Suffolk (city) | EF3 16 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 200 | $41M |
| 1999-09-15 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Suffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 1997-09-01 | DroughtSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | $8.7M | |
| 2011-08-27 | Tropical StormSuffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | |
| 2020-08-04 | TornadoWhaleyville Airport, Suffolk (city) | EF1 21 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.6M |
| 1998-08-26 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Suffolk (city) · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 2016-10-08 | FloodCleopus, Suffolk (city) | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 30, 1981 (tornado, Suffolk (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 Suffolk (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 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 44 | 47 | 34 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 24 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 25 | 5 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 19 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 27 · Mar 17 · Apr 23 · May 44 · Jun 60 · Jul 71 · Aug 45 · Sep 29 · Oct 16 · Nov 11 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Suffolk (city)
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Suffolk (city): 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) 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 |
| 2016-11-02 | DR-4291 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3329 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1999-09-16 | EM-3147 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1998-09-04 | DR-1242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bonnie |
| 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 Suffolk (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Suffolk (city) from 1999 to 2025, on 34 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Suffolk (city) ranks 865th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-08 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Depression Ida | 2009-11-12 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Bonnie | 1998-08-26 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.2 million on 234 claims filed in Suffolk (city); the most in one year was 47 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1982: 11 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1988: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 32 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 33 · 2004: 4 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 8 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 28 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 12 · 2012: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 47 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2; 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 Suffolk (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Suffolk (city) Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.5M | 2 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $523K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $6.7M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $446K | 46 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $707K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $897K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $162K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 6.8 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Suffolk (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 Suffolk (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Suffolk (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis