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Virginia · County tornado history

Suffolk city, Virginia tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 22 tornadoes in Suffolk city, Virginia from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.4 years. That ranks it 5 of 114 counties in Virginia with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on July 8, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
22
Since 2000
14
Strongest
EF3, April 28, 2008
Most recent
EF0, July 8, 2021
Peak month
March (4)
Per 1,000 sq mi
53
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Suffolk city

March has brought the most, 4 of 22. About 59% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Suffolk city

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 28, 2008 EF3 24 mi 400 yd 200
July 4, 1967 F3 2 mi 50 yd 5
March 30, 1981 F2 21.9 mi 83 yd 1 1
October 9, 1959 F2 1 mi 300 yd
November 11, 1995 F1 0.8 mi 100 yd 1
March 19, 1975 F1 1 mi 50 yd
August 6, 1993 F1 2 mi 250 yd
June 1, 2001 F1 1 mi 100 yd
June 25, 2004 F1 0.3 mi 30 yd
March 31, 2017 EF1 12.3 mi 100 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Suffolk city was an F2 on March 30, 1981. It killed 1 person and injured 1 along its 21.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 8, 2021 EF0 0.9 mi 40 yd
July 8, 2021 EF0 1.4 mi 50 yd
December 24, 2020 EF1 2.2 mi 200 yd
December 24, 2020 EF1 0.3 mi 150 yd
August 4, 2020 EF0 11.7 mi 100 yd
August 4, 2020 EF1 21 mi 150 yd
May 11, 2019 EF1 2 mi 200 yd
March 31, 2017 EF1 12.3 mi 100 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Suffolk city as relatively low, with a score of 56 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.24 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,798,275 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Suffolk city had?

22 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 14 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Suffolk city?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on July 8, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Suffolk city?

An EF3 on April 28, 2008, with a 24-mile path.

When is tornado season in Suffolk city?

March has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.