NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Independence, 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 Independence, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 17 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 17
- 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 Independence
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Independence; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 71 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Independence begins with an unnamed storm in 1893; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 12 miles away. The 1900s 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, 84% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Independence. The strongest of the 17 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on May 8, 2009; its path came within 8 miles. Of the 17, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 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, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Independence. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Independence has more hail reports within 10 miles than 61% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Independence's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Independence
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Independence: 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 Independence
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s1
- 1970s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 8 mi | 4.92 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 5, 2022 | EF1 | 9 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 24 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 5, 2011 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2005 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F1 | 22 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F1 | 24 mi | 32.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 27, 1973 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 10, 1959 | F1 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 17, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Independence
The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Independence since 1984, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 21 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 March 27, 2021. The most recent report is from May 6, 2022. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Independence
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Galax Wtp, VA, 14 miles east of Independence 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. 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%). Sparta, NC, 8 miles south, has its own station (Transou, NC): 58.7 inches a year, 7.5 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 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 Independence
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Independence: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 8 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 2, 2011. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 20. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 184 have had fewer than Independence.
June 30, 2013: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Independence — $500,000 damage.
September 26, 2024: flood 8 miles from the centre of Independence — $500,000 damage.
May 16, 2010: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Independence — $300,000 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
Grayson County, which includes Independence, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Grayson County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.9 million a year, the 88th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.4 million (40%), 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 Independence
- Sparta, NC8 mi
- Fries, VA11 mi
- Galax, VA13 mi
- Lowgap, NC19 mi
- Rural Retreat, VA19 mi
- Woodlawn, VA20 mi
- Jefferson, NC21 mi
- Traphill, NC21 mi
- Lansing, NC21 mi
- Hays, NC22 mi
- Wytheville, VA23 mi
- West Jefferson, NC25 mi
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