NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Clintwood, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Clintwood, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 7 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 7
- 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 Clintwood
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Clintwood; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Clintwood begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 95% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Clintwood. The strongest of the 7 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on May 8, 2009; its path came within 7 miles. Of the 7, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 5 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on April 9, 2011. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Clintwood. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1993, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Clintwood.
Compare Clintwood's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Clintwood
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 52 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 Clintwood: 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 Clintwood
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 7 mi | 1.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1983 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 7 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2011 | EF0 | 18 mi | 0.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF0 | 3 mi | 0.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 11, 2009 | EF0 | 24 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 7 of 7, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Clintwood
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Clintwood since 1993, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 4, 1993. The most recent report is from May 29, 2019. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Clintwood
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clintwood 1W, VA, 2 miles west of Clintwood at 1,566 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 22°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 98 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 133 nights a year. Snowfall averages 38.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.2 inches is more than at 91 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (83%). Wise, 14 miles southwest, has its own station (Wise 1SE, VA): 51.8 inches a year, 2.6 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 3.7 | 9 | 11.5 |
| Feb | 47 | 24 | 3.9 | 8 | 10.5 |
| Mar | 56 | 29 | 4.4 | 9 | 6.6 |
| Apr | 68 | 38 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.8 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 40 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 2.8 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Dec | 46 | 25 | 4.3 | 9 | 7.6 |
| Year | 64 | 40 | 49.2 | 98 | 38.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clintwood 1W, VA (1,566 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 Clintwood
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 169 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Clintwood: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 21 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 13, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 11 of 29. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 246 have had fewer than Clintwood.
February 6, 2020: flood 10 miles from the centre of Clintwood — $350,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Clintwood — $200,000 damage.
February 10, 2018: flood 6 miles from the centre of Clintwood — $200,000 damage.
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
Dickenson County, which includes Clintwood, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 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 Dickenson County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.0 million a year, the 97th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (65%), 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 Clintwood
- Pound, VA9 mi
- Haysi, VA9 mi
- Jenkins, KY10 mi
- Elkhorn City, KY11 mi
- Wise, VA14 mi
- Coeburn, VA14 mi
- Virgie, KY15 mi
- Norton, VA18 mi
- Vansant, VA18 mi
- Whitesburg, KY21 mi
- Castlewood, VA22 mi
- Pikeville, KY23 mi
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