NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marion, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Marion, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 13
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Marion
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Marion; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Marion begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 34 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 90% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Marion. The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 9 miles. Of the 13, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on April 27, 2011. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marion. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1972, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Marion.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marion
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Marion: 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 Marion
By decade
- 2010s4(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s1
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 9 mi | 19.63 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 14 mi | 8.4 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 25, 1975 | F2 | 10 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 3.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2005 | F1 | 6 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F1 | 18 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1959 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 2009 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1975 | F0 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marion
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Marion since 1972, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 22 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 May 26, 2024. The most recent report is from May 26, 2024. May has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marion
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Saltville 1N, VA, 14 miles west of Marion at 1,733 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 23°F. July is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.2 inches is more than at 87 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (80%). Rural Retreat, 14 miles east, has its own station (Wytheville, VA): 41.8 inches a year, 6.4 less 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 | 44 | 23 | 3.8 | 8 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 3.8 | 7 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 57 | 31 | 4.4 | 9 | 1.6 |
| Apr | 68 | 39 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 41 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 48 | 26 | 4.1 | 8 | 2.4 |
| Year | 66 | 42 | 48.2 | 95 | 10.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Saltville 1N, VA (1,733 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 Marion
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marion: 110 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 floods, 14 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 29, 2005. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 122 have had fewer than Marion.
May 6, 2022: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Marion — $3.0 million damage.
March 4, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Marion — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain associated with thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding in Smyth county. Several roads including Highway 91,42,and 16 were closed because of flooding.”
June 29, 2014: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Marion — $250,000 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 Marion's ZIP code 24354 have filed 53 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $331,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 11 claims (21% of all) and $213,000. 26% 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, 99 have fewer than Marion.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 11 | $213,000 |
Smyth County, which includes Marion, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Smyth County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.8 million a year, the 38th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.2 million (49%), 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 Marion
- Chilhowie, VA8 mi
- Saltville, VA13 mi
- Glade Spring, VA14 mi
- Rural Retreat, VA14 mi
- Meadowview, VA18 mi
- Damascus, VA19 mi
- Pounding Mill, VA20 mi
- Tazewell, VA20 mi
- Lansing, NC20 mi
- Cedar Bluff, VA20 mi
- North Tazewell, VA23 mi
- Richlands, VA24 mi
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