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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD, VA
500 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 2001VIRGINIA HURRICANES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
RECENT TROPICAL VISITORS TO VIRGINIA - BERTHA (1996), FRAN (1996),
DANNY (1997) AND FLOYD (1999), WERE GRAPHIC REMINDERS THAT HURRICANES
AND TROPICAL STORMS ARE IMPORTANT PLAYERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH'S
WEATHER. ALTHOUGH HURRICANES, TROPICAL STORMS AND THE REMNANTS THEREOF
DON'T AFFECT VIRGINIA EVERY YEAR, THEY ARE AND HAVE BEEN FREQUENT
VISITORS. IN FACT, SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DISASTERS IN
VIRGINIA'S WEATHER HISTORY WERE THE RESULT OF TROPICAL WEATHER
SYSTEMS PASSING THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH.
THE DEADLIEST WEATHER EVENT IN RECENT MEMORY WAS THE DEVASTATING
FLASH FLOOD PRODUCED BY THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE CAMILLE IN
AUGUST, 1969. HURRICANE CAMILLE MADE LANDFALL NEAR BILOXI, MS ON
AUGUST 17TH. BY AUGUST 19TH, CAMILLE'S REMNANTS HAD REACHED VIRGINIA,
CAUSING TORRENTIAL RAINS OF MORE THAN 20 INCHES ON THE VIRGINIA
MOUNTAINS, PRIMARILY IN NELSON COUNTY. THE ENSUING FLASH FLOOD TOOK
THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE. NO OTHER WEATHER EVENT HAS HAD
SUCH A DEADLY IMPACT ON THE COMMONWEALTH.OTHER NOTABLE STORMS INCLUDE THE 1933 HURRICANE, WHICH WAS THE LAST
HURRICANE TO MAKE LANDFALL IN OR NEAR THE VIRGINIA COAST, AND PRODUCING
THE STORM SURGE TIDE OF RECORD IN NORFOLK, VA. HURRICANES HAZEL (1954)
AND DONNA (1960) HAD MAJOR IMPACTS ON VIRGINIA, AS DID HURRICANE FRAN IN
1996 AND FLOYD IN 1999. IN FACT, AS BAD AS HURRICANE FRAN WAS, THERE'S
NO DOUBT THAT THE RELATIVELY SLOW FORWARD SPEED OF FRAN (ABOUT 20 MPH)
AS SHE TRAVERSED VIRGINIA AIDED IN FRAN'S WEAKENING, AND KEPT FRAN FROM
BEING MUCH MORE DEVASTATING. HURRICANE BERTHA, A RARE JULY STORM,
PRODUCED 6 TORNADOES IN VIRGINIA ALONE. THE STRONGEST OF THESE WAS IN
EDWARDSVILLE, VA (NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY), WHERE 9 PEOPLE WERE INJURED.
A COMPLETE 20TH CENTURY HURRICANE HISTORY IN VIRGINIA IS DETAILED
BELOW.
TWENTIETH CENTURY1903 OCTOBER 10 - AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 74 MPH,
THE TIDE IN NORFOLK REACHED 9 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
1924 AUGUST 26 - AVERAGE 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED 72 MPH AT CAPE HENRY.
1924 SEPTEMBER 30 - FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED IN NORFOLK 76 MPH.
1926 AUGUST 22 - FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED IN CAPE HENRY 74 MPH.
1928 SEPTEMBER 19 - FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 72 MPH.
THE TIDE REACHED 7.16 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER IN NORFOLK.
1933 AUGUST 23 - THIS HURRICANE ESTABLISHED RECORD HIGH TIDE OF 9.8 FEET
ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER. 18 PEOPLE DIED. HIGHEST 1 MINUTE WIND
SPEED IN NORFOLK WAS 70 MPH, 82 MPH AT CAPE HENRY, AND 88 MPH AT NAS,
NORFOLK.
1933 SEPTEMBER 16 - FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 88 MPH AT NAS,
NORFOLK, 75 MPH AT THE NWS CITY OFFICE, AND 87 MPH AT CAPE HENRY.
THE TIDE REACHED 8.3 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
1936 SEPTEMBER 18 - THE FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 84 MPH AT CAPE
HENRY AND 68 MPH AT THE NWS CITY OFFICE. THE TIDE REACHED 9.3 FEET
ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER AND IS THE SECOND HIGHEST TIDE OF RECORD.
1944 SEPTEMBER 14 - FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 134 MPH AT CAPE
HENRY WHICH IS THE HIGHEST SPEED OF RECORD IN THIS AREA. GUSTS WERE
ESTIMATED TO 150 MPH. THE NWS CITY OFFICE RECORDED 72 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 90 MPH.
1953 AUGUST 14 - BARBARA. THE FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 72 MPH
AT CAPE HENRY, 63 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 76 MPH AT NORFOLK AIRPORT.
1954 OCTOBER 15 - HAZEL. FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 78 MPH AT
NORFOLK AIRPORT WITH GUSTS TO 100 MPH WHICH IS THE HIGHEST WIND
SPEED OF RECORD FOR THE NORFOLK AIRPORT LOCATION. A RELIABLE
INSTRUMENT IN HAMPTON RECORDED 130 MPH.
1959 SEPTEMBER 30 - GRACIE. PASSED THROUGH WESTERN VIRGINIA, 6.79
INCHES OF RAIN AT NORFOLK AIRPORT IN 24 HOURS. STORM SPAWNED A
TORNADO EIGHT MILES WEST OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, KILLING 11 PEOPLE.
1960 SEPTEMBER 12 - DONNA. FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WAS 73 MPH AT
NORFOLK AIRPORT, 80 MPH AT CAPE HENRY AND ESTIMATED 138 MPH AT
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT SHIP. LOWEST PRESSURE OF 28.65 INCHES HOLDS THE
AREA RECORD FOR A TROPICAL STORM. 3 DEATHS.
1964 SEPTEMBER 1 - CLEO. A STORM NOTED FOR ITS RAIN. 11.40 INCHES IN
24 HOURS IS THE HEAVIEST IN THE COASTAL AREA SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN
1871.
1969 AUGUST 19 - CAMILLE. MADE LANDFALL IN MISSISSIPPI ON AUGUST 17.
CAMILLE TRACKED NORTHWARD AND DUMPED A RECORD 27 INCHES OF RAIN IN
THE VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS, PRIMARILY IN NELSON COUNTY. FLASH FLOODING
TOOK THE LIVES OF 153 PEOPLE.
1971 AUGUST 27 - DORIA. THE FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED 52 MPH AT
NORFOLK AIRPORT AND 71 MPH AT NAS, NORFOLK.
1972 JUNE 21 - AGNES. MADE LANDFALL ON THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. AS
THE STORM CROSSED VIRGINIA, IT DUMPED 13.6 INCHES OF RAIN ON THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. THE JAMES RIVER CRESTED AT
A RECORD HIGH IN RICHMOND. VIRGINIA SUSTAINED $222 MILLION IN DAMAGE,
AND 13 PEOPLE DIED FROM FLASH FLOODING.
1979 SEPTEMBER 5 - DAVID. PASSED THROUGH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. SPAWNED 2
SEVERE TORNADOES - ONE IN NEWPORT NEWS WITH OVER $2 MILLION IN DAMAGE
AND ONE IN HAMPTON WITH A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.
1985 SEPTEMBER 27 - GLORIA. PASSED 45 MILES EAST OF CAPE HENRY. FASTEST
1 MINUTE WIND SPEED WNW 46 MPH, PEAK GUST 67 MPH AT THE AIRPORT,
NE 94 MPH GUST TO 104 MPH AT THE SOUTH ISLAND CBBT. HIGHEST TIDE 5.3
FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER, STORM RAINFALL 5.65 INCHES AND TOTAL
VIRGINIA DAMAGE $5.5 MILLION.
1986 AUGUST 17 - CHARLEY. THE WEAK CENTER PASSED OVER SOUTHEAST
VIRGINIA BEACH. FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED NNE 40 MPH GUST E 63 MPH
AT NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...NE 94 MPH GUST TO 104 MPH AT SOUTH
ISLAND CBBT...AND NE 54 MPH GUST TO 82 MPH AT CAPE HENRY. HIGHEST
TIDE 5.5 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER. LESS THAN $1 MILLION IN
DAMAGE IN VIRGINIA.
1996 JULY 12-13 - BERTHA. PASSED OVER PORTIONS OF SUFFOLK AND NEWPORT
NEWS. FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED SE 35 MPH GUST TO 48 MPH AT NORFOLK
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. BERTHA SPAWNED 6 TORNADOES ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL
VIRGINIA. THE STRONGEST, AN F1 TORNADO MOVED OVER NORTHUMBERLAND
COUNTY INJURING 9 PERSONS AND CAUSING SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS IN
DAMAGE. OTHER TORNADOES MOVED OVER SMITHFIELD, GLOUCESTER, YORKTOWN
AND HAMPTON.
1996 SEPTEMBER 5 - FRAN. PASSED WELL WEST OF THE AREA OVER DANVILLE.
FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED SE 41 MPH GUST TO 47 MPH AT NORFOLK
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 0.20 OF AN INCH IN
NORFOLK.
1998 AUGUST 27 - BONNIE. TRACKED OVER THE NORTHERN OUTER BANKS. FASTEST
1 MINUTE WIND SPEED NE 46 MPH WITH GUST TO 64 MPH AT NORFOLK AIRPORT.
NE 90 MPH WITH GUST TO 104 MPH AT CBBT. 4-7 INCHES OF RAIN COMBINED
WITH NEAR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS KNOCKED OUT POWER TO 320,000
CUSTOMERS. HIGHEST TIDE 6.0 FT ABOVE MLLW. MOST SIGNIFICANT STORM
SINCE 1960.
1999 AUGUST 30 TO SEPTEMBER 4 - DENNIS. PRODUCED ONE OF THE MOST
PROLONGED PERIOD OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS IN EASTERN VIRGINIA.
FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND SPEED NE 43 MPH WITH GUST TO 53 MPH AT NORFOLK
INT'L AIRPORT. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL 3.30 INCHES. SIGNIFICANT BEACH
EROSION REPORTED.
1999 SEPTEMBER 6 - FLOYD. PASSED DIRECTLY OVER VIRGINIA BEACH ON A
TRACK SIMILAR TO HURRICANE DONNA IN 1960. LOWEST PRESSURE OF 28.85"
(977 MB) AT NORFOLK INT'L AIRPORT 4TH LOWEST FOR A HURRICANE THIS
CENTURY. FASTEST 1 MINUTE WIND NE 31MPH WITH GUST TO 46 MPH.
RAINFALL 6.80" WITH AMOUNTS OF 12-18" IN INTERIOR PORTIONS EASTERN
VIRGINIA. FRANKLIN, VA REPORTED 500 YEAR FLOOD OF RECORD. LARGEST
PEACETIME EVACUATION IN U.S. HISTORY.
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY2003 SEPTEMBER 18-20 - ISABEL
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/wx_events/hur/isabel_2003.htmVIRGINIA'S EARLY WEATHER HISTORY IS ALSO FULL OF TALES OF STORMS THAT
DWARF ANYTHING COASTAL VIRGINIA HAS WITNESSED THIS CENTURY. FOR EXAMPLE,
THE HURRICANES OF 1749 AND 1806 CREATED WHAT IS NOW WILLOUGHBY SPIT,
WHERE NEARLY 30,000 PEOPLE CURRENTLY RESIDE. THE ESTIMATED STORM TIDE
WITH THE 1749 HURRICANE WAS 15 FEET, 6 FEET ABOVE WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE
STORM TIDE OF RECORD AT NORFOLK!!! A HURRICANE IN 1667 WIDENED LYNNHAVEN
INLET, WHILE AN OCTOBER 23, 1878 STORM COMPLETE SUBMERGED COBB AND SMITH
ISLANDS IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.
LISTED BELOW ARE MANY OF THE NOTEWORTHY 17TH, 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY
HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS TO STRIKE VIRGINIA.SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES
1635 AUGUST 24 - FIRST HISTORICAL REFERENCE TO A MAJOR HURRICANE THAT
COULD HAVE AFFECTED THE VIRGINIA COAST.
1667 SEPTEMBER 6 - IT APPEARS LIKELY THIS HURRICANE CAUSED THE WIDENING
OF THE LYNNHAVEN RIVER. THE BAY ROSE 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL AND MANY
PEOPLE HAD TO FLEE.
1693 OCTOBER 29 - FROM THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, "THERE HAPPENED A
MOST VIOLENT STORM IN VIRGINIA WHICH STOPPED THE COURSE OF ANCIENT
CHANNELS AND MADE SOME WHERE THERE NEVER WERE ANY".
1749 OCTOBER 19 - TREMENDOUS HURRICANE. A SAND SPIT OF 800 ACRES WAS
WASHED UP AND WITH THE HELP OF A HURRICANE IN 1806 IT BECAME
WILLOUGHBY SPIT. THE BAY ROSE 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.NINETEENTH CENTURY
1806 AUGUST 23 - CALLED THE GREAT COASTAL HURRICANE OF 1806.
1821 SEPTEMBER 3 - ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT HURRICANES ON RECORD.
1846 SEPTEMBER 8 - HATTERAS AND OREGON INLETS WERE FORMED.
1876 SEPTEMBER 17 - AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY WAS 78
MPH...8.32" OF RAIN.
1878 OCTOBER 23 - COBB AND SMITH ISLANDS, ON THE EASTERN SHORE, WERE
COMPLETELY SUBMERGED. AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND AT CAPE HENRY WAS 84
MPH. EIGHTEEN DIED WHEN THE A.S. DAVIS WENT ASHORE NEAR VIRGINIA
BEACH.
1879 AUGUST 18 - TIDE IN NORFOLK 7.77 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW
WATER. AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 76 MPH WITH 100
MPH ESTIMATED GUSTS.
1887 OCTOBER 31 - AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 78 MPH.
THE STORM CAUSED A RECORD NUMBER OF MARINE DISASTERS.
1893 AUGUST 23 - AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 88 MPH.
1894 SEPTEMBER 29 - FIVE MINUTE WIND SPEED AT CAPE HENRY 80 MPH.
GUSTS TO 90 MPH.
1897 OCTOBER 25 - LASTED 60 HOURS. NORFOLK TIDES 8.1 FEET ABOVE
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
1899 OCTOBER 31 - AVERAGE 5 MINUTE WIND AT CAPE HENRY 72 MPH. TIDE
IN NORFOLK REACHED 8.9 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
BILL SAMMLER
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD, VA
