NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Nickelsville, 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 Nickelsville, 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 Nickelsville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Nickelsville; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Nickelsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 53 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 Nickelsville. The highest rating among the 24 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 8, 2009, came within 24 miles. Of the 24, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 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 Nickelsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 9 times since 1977, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 99% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Nickelsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Nickelsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 61 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 | 75 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 Nickelsville: 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 Nickelsville
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s7
- 2000s8
- 1990s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1962 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 25 mi | 3.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 4, 2008 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 26, 2004 | F1 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | F1 | 11 mi | 16.2 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 10, 1953 | F1 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF0 | 22 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF0 | 14 mi | 0.6 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 Nickelsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 9 hail reports within 10 miles of Nickelsville since 1977. Of these, 8 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 June 11, 2014. The most recent report is from March 27, 2021.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Nickelsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kingsport, TN, 17 miles south of Nickelsville 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%). Castlewood, 12 miles northeast, has its own station (Nora 4 SSE, VA): 47.7 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 80°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 Nickelsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Nickelsville: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $581,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 2, 2004.
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
Scott County, which includes Nickelsville, 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 Nickelsville
- Gate City, VA12 mi
- Castlewood, VA12 mi
- Weber City, VA12 mi
- Blountville, TN14 mi
- Coeburn, VA15 mi
- Bristol, VA15 mi
- Kingsport, TN16 mi
- Norton, VA18 mi
- Mount Carmel, TN18 mi
- Wise, VA18 mi
- Bristol, TN19 mi
- Lebanon, VA19 mi
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