NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Clifton Forge, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Clifton Forge, Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 4 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 4
- 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 Clifton Forge
The strongest storm to pass near Clifton Forge was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Clifton Forge begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 74% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Clifton Forge. The strongest of the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF1 on April 15, 2018; its path came within 24 miles. The most recent tornado was on August 1, 2020. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Clifton Forge. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1980, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Clifton Forge.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Clifton Forge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 53 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Clifton Forge: 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 Clifton Forge
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 1, 2020 | EF0 | 25 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF0 | 5 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1975 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 4 of 4, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Clifton Forge
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Clifton Forge since 1980, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 19 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 July 28, 2005. The most recent report is from April 14, 2025. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Clifton Forge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Covington Fltr Plt, VA, 11 miles west of Clifton Forge at 1,244 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 39.4 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (20.2 of 39.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 39.4 inches is more than at 2 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (2%). Eagle Rock, 10 miles south, has its own station (Buchanan, VA): 43.5 inches a year, 4.1 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 2.4 | 5 | 3.3 |
| Mar | 54 | 30 | 3.4 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Apr | 66 | 39 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 2.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 31 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 2.9 | 7 | 2.5 |
| Year | 64 | 41 | 39.4 | 80 | 10.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Covington Fltr Plt, VA (1,244 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 Clifton Forge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 76 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Clifton Forge: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 floods, 7 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 13, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 14, 2004. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 30 have had fewer than Clifton Forge.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Clifton Forge — 13 injured, $600,000 damage.
September 30, 2010: flood 2 miles from the centre of Clifton Forge — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “The East Fork of Dry Creek was out of its banks and up to three feet deep at one point of the flooding. Damage values are estimated.”
January 25, 2010: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Clifton Forge — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain prompted a road to collapse due to a flash flood. Damage values are estimated.”
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 Clifton Forge's ZIP code 24422 have filed 84 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 44 claims (52% of all) and $658,000, then Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 14. The year with the most claims was 1996, with 35. 70% 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, 122 have fewer than Clifton Forge.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 44 | $658,000 |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 14 | $48,000 |
Alleghany County, which includes Clifton Forge, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Alleghany County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.8 million a year, the 49th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.3 million (67%), 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 Clifton Forge
- Eagle Rock, VA10 mi
- Hot Springs, VA12 mi
- Covington, VA13 mi
- Lexington, VA18 mi
- Buchanan, VA21 mi
- Fincastle, VA22 mi
- Glasgow, VA22 mi
- White Sulphur Springs, WV24 mi
- Buena Vista, VA25 mi
- Troutville, VA28 mi
- Daleville, VA29 mi
- Marlinton, WV30 mi
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