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Warnings by state

Virginia tornado warnings

The National Weather Service issued 621 tornado warnings, 6,338 severe thunderstorm warnings and 1,455 flash flood warnings for Virginia from 2016 to 2025, about 62, 634 and 146 a year. That ranks 20th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. City of Suffolk had the most of any county: 50 tornado warnings.

Virginia warnings and radar right now

Checking the National Weather Service for Virginia…

Virginia counties ranked by tornado warnings

Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.

CountyTornado warningsSevere thunderstormFlash floodTornadoes since 1950
City of Suffolk501794222
Pittsylvania County394154223
Halifax County393143418
Henry County36259427
City of Chesapeake341696213
Hanover County332256617
Chesterfield County312229520
Isle of Wight County311784016
Franklin County28298465
Henrico County281989912
King and Queen County28192248
Mecklenburg County281523011
King William County27168288
Brunswick County261482413
Caroline County251711815
Amelia County251652611
Southampton County242184117
City of Virginia Beach241455516
Dinwiddie County231964313
Richmond County231573010
Lunenburg County23149225
Charlotte County22229198
Goochland County221822211
Fauquier County214402528
Essex County21181303
Nottoway County211602514
Middlesex County211311611
Sussex County202254110
Northumberland County201152711
Bedford County193324612
Albemarle County192916111
Spotsylvania County192221613
New Kent County19142328
Campbell County183023711
Lancaster County181081910
Powhatan County17149225
Loudoun County164492730
Surry County16170409
Charles City County16154402
Westmoreland County16139297
Greensville County16132248
James City County16126398
Stafford County152381618
Patrick County15221554
Louisa County151601615
City of Martinsville15126260
Fairfax County144308422
City of Richmond141097014
City of Portsmouth1491465
Prince George County131755310
York County13110509
City of Norfolk13915613
Culpeper County123251610
Lee County12124168
Gloucester County121181817
Amherst County11220304
Prince William County103803914
Appomattox County10205343
Carroll County10179516
Nelson County10176463
King George County1014658
City of Fredericksburg109362
Prince Edward County1092192
Orange County92602314
Augusta County92093813
Cumberland County9132173
City of Danville9128213
Rockingham County82644810
Madison County8240349
City of Newport News8112468
Mathews County86976
Botetourt County7223293
City of Lynchburg7119321
Fluvanna County71031610
Accomack County79889
City of Hopewell778272
Frederick County62602011
Rappahannock County6207204
Clarke County6206810
Scott County6140244
Greene County5166365
Arlington County5158504
Buckingham County5148155
Giles County5126200
City of Petersburg588325
City of Hampton584357
Wise County577173
City of Poquoson572270
Warren County4193194
Roanoke County4171363
Montgomery County4150315
City of Alexandria4133422
Bland County4112170
Buchanan County480521
City of Waynesboro469161
Shenandoah County3196285
Rockbridge County3180223
Wythe County3125270
City of Roanoke3101272
Tazewell County383300
City of Franklin36992
Northampton County35978
City of Emporia355163
City of Staunton346110
Page County2170254
Grayson County2122514
Craig County2120201
Washington County21143012
City of Charlottesville291121
Smyth County289297
City of Bristol261161
City of Williamsburg256190
City of Norton24581
Floyd County1161382
City of Fairfax1124230
Alleghany County1123240
City of Buena Vista17990
City of Radford170150
City of Galax160250
Highland County14921
Pulaski County0148244
City of Manassas0121111
City of Falls Church0113331
City of Manassas Park0107140
City of Winchester09640
Bath County085150
Russell County085236
City of Colonial Heights081301
City of Salem080241
City of Lexington07280
City of Harrisonburg06980
City of Covington056120
Dickenson County044312

Virginia warnings by year

Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.

Tornadoes since 1950

835 tornadoes have been recorded in Virginia since 1950, 2 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 38 people and injured 953. April had the most (140).

Warnings for Virginia by year
YearTornadoSevere thunderstormFlash flood
2026 to Oct 1942839166
202534732333
2024107511225
202327624119
202282732111
202155683149
202051566180
20199496452
201867471172
20174345150
20166160464
20152440073
20144343545
201325396110
20126074083
20111761,056167
201063638141
200957615123
20088785971

What stands out in Virginia

2011 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Virginia since 2008, with 176 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2025, with 333.

Since 2008, 26 flash flood warnings for Virginia were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.

26 severe thunderstorm warnings for Virginia carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.

2 tornadoes in Virginia since 1950 were rated F4 or EF4, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on September 24, 2001.

National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.

States next to Virginia

Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.

Get alerts for a home anywhere in Virginia.

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Virginia tornado warnings: questions people ask

How many tornado warnings does Virginia get a year?

About 62 a year: the National Weather Service issued 621 tornado warnings for Virginia from 2016 to 2025, 20th of 52 states and territories.

Which Virginia county gets the most tornado warnings?

City of Suffolk has the most: 50 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Pittsylvania County with 39. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.

Which Virginia city gets the most tornado warnings?

Glen Allen has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 12 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.

When is tornado season in Virginia?

April and September: 31% of the 835 tornadoes recorded in Virginia since 1950 came in those two months. Tornadoes have struck Virginia in every month of the year.

About these numbers

Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Virginia county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Virginia data (CSV)

Cite: Kinwarn. “Virginia tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/virginia. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.

Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts