NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bluefield, VA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bluefield, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 5 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 5
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bluefield
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bluefield; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The record near Bluefield begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 52 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 91% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bluefield. The strongest of the 5 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on April 12, 1965; its path came within 18 miles. Of the 5, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on October 7, 2014. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bluefield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Bluefield has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Bluefield's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bluefield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bluefield: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bluefield
By decade
- 2010s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 17 mi | 5.54 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 12, 1975 | F1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 25 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 5 of 5, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bluefield
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Bluefield since 1994, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently June 30, 2012. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bluefield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bluefield, WV, 7 miles east of Bluefield at 2,870 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.6 inches over 96 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 128 nights a year. Snowfall averages 39.7 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 45.6 inches is more than at 51 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (47%). Bluefield, WV, 8 miles northeast, has its own station (Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, WV): 41.1 inches a year, 4.5 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.5 | 8 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 3.4 | 8 | 9.9 |
| Mar | 53 | 30 | 4.5 | 9 | 7.5 |
| Apr | 65 | 38 | 4.1 | 9 | 1.4 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 41 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Nov | 53 | 30 | 3.0 | 6 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.8 | 9 | 8.7 |
| Year | 63 | 40 | 45.6 | 96 | 39.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bluefield, WV (2,870 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bluefield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 167 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bluefield: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 flash floods, 27 floods and 20 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $6.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 19 of 47. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 297 have had fewer than Bluefield.
July 5, 2015: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Bluefield — $3.5 million damage.
NWS: “Laurel Creek flooded about half of the town of Pocahontas. 25 homes, 5 businesses and 2 mobile homes were damaged or destroyed.”
March 4, 2008: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Bluefield — $750,000 damage.
March 4, 2015: flood 8 miles from the centre of Bluefield — $600,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread flooding was reported across the county. Around two dozen roads were reported closed by WV DOT and significant road damage occurred also per WV DOT.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Bluefield's ZIP code 24605 have filed 131 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 11 claims (8% of all) and $240,000. The year with the most claims was 2001, with 24. 12% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 144 have fewer than Bluefield.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 11 | $240,000 |
Tazewell County, which includes Bluefield, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tazewell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.2 million a year, the 35th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.5 million (76%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.