NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gate City, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gate City, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 24 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 24
- 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 Gate City
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gate City; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Gate City begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 52 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 91% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Gate City. The highest rating among the 24 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 20 miles. Of the 24, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2023. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gate City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1977, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Gate City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gate City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 74 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 Gate City: 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 Gate City
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s7
- 2000s6
- 1990s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1962 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 5, 1955 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 4, 2008 | EF1 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 26, 2004 | F1 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | F1 | 10 mi | 16.2 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 10, 1953 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 24, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gate City
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Gate City since 1977, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 41 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 27, 2014. The most recent report is from September 24, 2024. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gate City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kingsport, TN, 9 miles south of Gate City at 1,284 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. July is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 45.2 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 28 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 83 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.2 inches is more than at 44 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (40%). Duffield, 12 miles west, has its own station (Big Stone Gap, VA): 56.1 inches a year, 10.9 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 3.9 | 8 | 1.7 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.1 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 2.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 50 | 30 | 4.0 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Year | 69 | 46 | 45.2 | 90 | 5.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kingsport, TN (1,284 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 Gate City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 223 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gate City: 193 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods and 8 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $5.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 26, 2004. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 202 have had fewer than Gate City.
August 17, 2010: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Gate City — 1 killed.
September 25, 2022: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Gate City — 1 killed.
June 18, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Gate City — 2 injured, $20,000 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 Gate City's ZIP code 24251 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $103,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 22 have fewer than Gate City.
Scott County, which includes Gate City, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 12 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 Scott 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 $8.4 million a year, the 69th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.8 million (82%), 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 Gate City
- Weber City, VA2 mi
- Mount Carmel, TN7 mi
- Kingsport, TN8 mi
- Church Hill, TN10 mi
- Nickelsville, VA12 mi
- Duffield, VA12 mi
- Blountville, TN14 mi
- Surgoinsville, TN16 mi
- Fall Branch, TN17 mi
- Big Stone Gap, VA18 mi
- Piney Flats, TN20 mi
- Norton, VA21 mi
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