NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Radford, 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 Radford, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 11 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 11
- 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 Radford
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Radford; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Radford begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 25 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. 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 Radford. The strongest of the 11 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on April 8, 2011; its path came within 13 miles. Of the 11, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 3. The most recent tornado was on August 31, 2021. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Radford. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 148 times since 1988, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Radford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Radford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 48 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 Radford: 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 Radford
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2011 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Aug 31, 2021 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 2021 | EF1 | 3 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2019 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 5 mi | 1.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 4 mi | 1.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2011 | EF1 | 13 mi | 3.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 23, 1999 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 30, 1987 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2009 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1998 | F0 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 11 of 11, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Radford
The Storm Prediction Center has 148 hail reports within 10 miles of Radford since 1988, made on 84 separate days. Of these, 70 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 2, 2002. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 54.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Radford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Radford 3 N, VA, 6 miles north of Radford at 1,800 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 42.1 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (21.1 of 42.1 inches). September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. That 42.1 inches is more than at 14 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (13%). Dublin, 6 miles west, has its own station (Pulaski 2 E, VA): 40.2 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 3.2 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 2.7 |
| Mar | 54 | 31 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 3.7 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 4.5 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 3.9 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 4.2 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.6 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 2.9 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 2.8 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 3.3 |
| Year | 64 | 42 | 42.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Radford 3 N, VA (1,800 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 Radford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 259 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Radford: 194 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 flash floods, 23 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 19, 2008. May has had the most flash floods, 14 of 37. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 277 have had fewer than Radford.
June 13, 2021: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Radford — 1 injured, $12,000 damage.
September 29, 2015: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Radford — $1.0 million damage.
January 31, 2013: flood 2 miles from the centre of Radford — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “About 100 cars were partially or completely submerged at the Dedmon Center parking lot at Radford University when the New River overflowed its banks. Flooding on the New River was aggravated by water releases at Claytor Lake Dam which took place after midnight on January 31st.”
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 Radford's ZIP code 24141 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $850,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 64% 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, 10 have fewer than Radford.
Radford city, which includes Radford, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 snowstorms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Radford 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 $2.6 million a year, the 129th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.6 million (62%), 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 Radford
- Dublin, VA6 mi
- Christiansburg, VA9 mi
- Riner, VA11 mi
- Blacksburg, VA11 mi
- Pulaski, VA12 mi
- Pembroke, VA14 mi
- Pearisburg, VA15 mi
- Draper, VA16 mi
- Shawsville, VA17 mi
- Willis, VA19 mi
- Narrows, VA20 mi
- Elliston, VA20 mi
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