NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Galax, 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 Galax, 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, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 22
- 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 Galax
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Galax; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 71 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Galax begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The 1900s 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, 81% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Galax. The highest rating among the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 23, 2022, came within 19 miles. Of the 22, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on July 5, 2022. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Galax. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 116 times since 1985, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Galax has more hail reports within 10 miles than 86% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Galax's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Galax
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 63 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 Galax: 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 Galax
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5
- 2000s5
- 1990s3
- 1970s5
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 8 mi | 4.92 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 2022 | EF1 | 5 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF1 | 8 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2005 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F1 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1979 | F1 | 14 mi | 1.5 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 Galax
The Storm Prediction Center has 116 hail reports within 10 miles of Galax since 1985, made on 64 separate days. Of these, 56 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently March 27, 2021. The most recent report is from August 30, 2024. June has the most reports, 35.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Galax
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Galax Wtp, VA, in Galax at 2,341 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 24°F. September is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 51.2 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (26.9 of 51.2 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 76°F and 5.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. That 51.2 inches is more than at 98 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (90%). Fries, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Galax Radio Wbrf, VA): 45.7 inches a year, 5.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 24 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 54 | 31 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Apr | 64 | 40 | 4.8 | 8 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 42 | 51.2 | 85 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Galax Wtp, VA (2,341 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 Galax
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 185 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Galax: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 flash floods, 30 floods and 12 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $7.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 15, 2005. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 297 have had fewer than Galax.
September 8, 2018: flash flood in Galax — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding occurred in downtown Galax, with Main Street closed and several businesses badly flooded. Water was rapidly flowing through Blevins Building Supply store and was described as a 'river' running through it.”
September 26, 2024: flood 3 miles from the centre of Galax — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “26 feet (108,000 cfs) at 10:15 PM EDT on Sept. 27th (28/0215 UTC) due to heavy rain associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene.”
January 30, 2013: flood 9 miles from the centre of Galax — $1.5 million 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
Galax city, which includes Galax, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Galax City a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $2.8 million a year, the 127th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.2 million (45%), 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 Galax
- Fries, VA7 mi
- Woodlawn, VA7 mi
- Lowgap, NC10 mi
- Independence, VA13 mi
- Cana, VA14 mi
- Hillsville, VA15 mi
- Sparta, NC15 mi
- Max Meadows, VA20 mi
- Mount Airy, NC20 mi
- Ararat, VA22 mi
- Traphill, NC22 mi
- Dobson, NC23 mi
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