NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fincastle, 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 Fincastle, Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 20
- 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 Fincastle
The strongest storm to pass near Fincastle was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Fincastle begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 29 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 12 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 74% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Fincastle. The highest rating among the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on September 17, 2004, came within 17 miles. Of the 20, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Fincastle. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1984, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Fincastle has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Fincastle's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fincastle
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 54 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 13 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 Fincastle: 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 Fincastle
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s4
- 1970s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 17 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1996 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F2 | 14 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 1953 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 16 mi | 2.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2018 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2003 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fincastle
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Fincastle since 1984, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 2, 2002. The most recent report is from July 10, 2020. June has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fincastle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Buchanan, VA, 10 miles east of Fincastle at 880 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 27°F. July is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 43.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 43.5 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 79°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 96 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.4 inches a year, most of it in December. That 43.5 inches is more than at 25 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (23%). Troutville, 6 miles south, has its own station (Roanoke 8 N, VA): 45.7 inches a year, 2.2 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 27 | 3.2 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 2.7 | 5 | 2.3 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 70 | 44 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 66 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 47 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 3.5 | 6 | 4.7 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 43.5 | 73 | 11.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Buchanan, VA (880 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 Fincastle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 123 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fincastle: 88 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 10 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on May 9, 2003. September has had the most flash floods, 4 of 19. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Fincastle.
July 3, 2013: flood 7 miles from the centre of Fincastle — 1 killed.
June 16, 2025: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Fincastle — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Extensive road damage occurred on Grove Hill Road between White Church Road and the border between Craig and Botetourt Counties due to considerable flash flooding of North Fork Catawba Creek, which was observed well out of its banks.”
June 16, 2025: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Fincastle — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Virginia Department of Transportation was dispatched to Caldwell Mountain Road to address damage caused to the road due to flash flooding. The road was rendered impassible until repairs could be completed.”
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
Botetourt County, which includes Fincastle, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Botetourt 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, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.0 million a year, the 64th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.0 million (78%), 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.