NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Castlewood, 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 Castlewood, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 22
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Castlewood
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Castlewood; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Castlewood begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 57 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 Castlewood. The highest rating among the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 24 miles. Of the 22, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on February 29, 2012. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Castlewood. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1996, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Castlewood.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Castlewood
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Castlewood: 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 Castlewood
By decade
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s3
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 19.63 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 8.4 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 20 mi | 1.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1962 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 21 mi | 3.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F1 | 23 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | F1 | 22 mi | 16.2 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 10, 1953 | F1 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF0 | 6 mi | 4.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF0 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 22, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Castlewood
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Castlewood since 1996. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently February 29, 2012. The most recent report is from May 11, 2018. June has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Castlewood
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Nora 4 SSE, VA, 10 miles north of Castlewood at 2,658 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 47.7 inches over 99 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. Snowfall averages 38.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.7 inches is more than at 81 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (74%). Lebanon, 9 miles east, has its own station (Lebanon, VA): 45.9 inches a year, 1.8 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 24 | 3.6 | 8 | 11.2 |
| Feb | 44 | 27 | 3.7 | 9 | 8.7 |
| Mar | 52 | 34 | 4.5 | 9 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 63 | 44 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.5 |
| May | 71 | 52 | 4.5 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 61 | 4.9 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 64 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 58 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 47 | 2.8 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Nov | 53 | 36 | 2.9 | 6 | 2.1 |
| Dec | 44 | 29 | 3.9 | 10 | 8.8 |
| Year | 62 | 45 | 47.7 | 99 | 38.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Nora 4 SSE, VA (2,658 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 Castlewood
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 98 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Castlewood: 84 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 floods, 5 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $622,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 14, 2005. July has had the most flash floods, 2 of 5. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 18 have had fewer than Castlewood.
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
Russell County, which includes Castlewood, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Russell County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.8 million a year, the 67th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.8 million (54%), 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.
Cities near Castlewood
- Lebanon, VA9 mi
- Nickelsville, VA12 mi
- Coeburn, VA12 mi
- Wise, VA18 mi
- Bristol, VA18 mi
- Honaker, VA19 mi
- Abingdon, VA20 mi
- Norton, VA20 mi
- Clintwood, VA22 mi
- Bristol, TN22 mi
- Gate City, VA23 mi
- Weber City, VA24 mi
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