NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Covington, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Covington, Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 6
- 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 Covington
The strongest storm to pass near Covington was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Covington begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 74% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Covington. The strongest of the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on April 24, 1975; its path came within 24 miles. Of the 6, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on August 1, 2020. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Covington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1995, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Covington.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Covington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 65 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 23 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 Covington: 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 Covington
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1962 | F1 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 1, 2020 | EF0 | 20 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF0 | 16 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1975 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 6 of 6, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Covington
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Covington since 1995, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently July 12, 2022. The most recent report is from April 2, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Covington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Covington Fltr Plt, VA, 3 miles northeast of Covington 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. 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%). White Sulphur Springs, WV, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (White Sulphur Springs, WV): 41.2 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 83°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 Covington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 90 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Covington: 70 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 8 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.2 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, 6 of 8. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Covington.
June 23, 2016: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Covington — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Urban flooding was first reported from the City of Covington around 145 PM EDT (1245 EST) as two flood-prone underpasses were flooded. More serious flooding began around 230 PM EDT (130 PM EST) with numerous roads closed and eventually homes flooded.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Covington — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and some power lines. A church roof was severely damaged, and a portion of the roof at the high school and at a hotel were peeled off by the winds.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Covington — $500,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Covington's ZIP code 24426 have filed 320 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 172 claims (54% of all) and $1.5 million, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 16. 60% 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, 165 have fewer than Covington.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 172 | $1.5 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 16 | $271,000 |
Alleghany County, which includes Covington, 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 Covington
- Clifton Forge, VA13 mi
- White Sulphur Springs, WV13 mi
- Eagle Rock, VA13 mi
- Hot Springs, VA16 mi
- Fincastle, VA20 mi
- New Castle, VA20 mi
- Lewisburg, WV23 mi
- Ronceverte, WV24 mi
- Troutville, VA25 mi
- Buchanan, VA25 mi
- Daleville, VA26 mi
- Marlinton, WV29 mi
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