A deadly family of tornadoes carved a 70-80 mile path through Lunenburg, Nottoway, Dinwiddie, and Prince George Counties in Virginia on May 5, 1834. Through analysis of newspaper reports, ancestry records, and information from historical societies, we have documented the details of this significant event in Virginia history to the best of our ability.
One of the most devastating tornadoes to ever hit the state of Virginia was spawned by Hurricane Gracie on September 30, 1959. The twister tracked through a part of Albemarle County west of Charlottesville and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This summary provides a detailed analysis of discrepancies in the path and the number of tornadoes to hit this day. It also focuses on the tragedy near Ivy. In mere seconds, ten members of one family lost their lives.
During the early morning hours of April 28, 2011, five tornadoes ripped across the Shenandoah Valley. This summary looks at the strongest, an EF2, that snaked along a 37.6 mile path across Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties. It caused heavy damage near Basye and injured two people. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member!
A tornado skipped through north-central Halifax County, VA, crossing into extreme western Charlotte County. It remained in rural areas but caused major damage along Liberty Road near Nathalie. One person was killed, and seven others were injured as the tornado decimated three trailers.
One of the worst tornadoes in Virginia history tore through the Appalachian Mountains and a thriving country town. At a maximum width of 2,320 yards (1.32 miles), it is by far the widest the state has ever seen and wreaked havoc across a 24-mile path. More than a remarkable meteorological event for the region, this twister reshaped hundreds of lives, particularly in the community of Glade Spring.
In this summary, we look at an obscure F4 tornado that moved through portions of northern Virginia. It is one of the most powerful tornadoes in the Baltimore-Washington area, and officially one of only two F4s in the state.
38 tornadoes tore across parts of Virginia on September 17, 2004 – the largest outbreak in state history. This was the result of Hurricane Ivan. While officially an F2, the Stanardsville tornado was likely the strongest and widest not just that day but ever in its immediate region. It also traversed mountains over 2,000 feet in elevation. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member!
18 tornadoes ravaged Virginia on the Afternoon of August 6, 1993. This summary looks at the most violent tornado, an F4 that hit Petersburg. Old Towne Petersburg and a large shopping center in Colonial Heights were demolished. Three women were killed in the destruction of a Walmart. The tornado caused $47.5 million in damage, the costliest in Virginia history.
There was one tornado confirmed on November 29, 1963. It was a small, quick-hitting twister that hit on a Friday afternoon just east of Stuart Draft, VA. A new house under construction was nearly leveled. Portions of the roof was carried 75 feet. Two other roofs of two others homes were torn away.
A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Nick Wilkes about the “controversial” tornadoes of October 14, 1984 in Virginia.
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