NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Roanoke, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Roanoke, Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 21
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Roanoke
The strongest storm to pass near Roanoke was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Roanoke begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 74% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Roanoke. The strongest of the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 19, 2019; its path came within 23 miles. Of the 21, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Roanoke. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 208 times since 1959, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Roanoke has more hail reports within 10 miles than any other of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Roanoke's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Roanoke
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 16 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 Roanoke: 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 Roanoke
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s4
- 1970s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF3 | 23 mi | 8.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 11 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1996 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F2 | 2 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 1953 | F2 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF1 | 4 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 21 mi | 2.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2018 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Roanoke
The Storm Prediction Center has 208 hail reports within 10 miles of Roanoke since 1959, made on 110 separate days. Of these, 98 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 22, 2004. The most recent report is from July 18, 2025. May has the most reports, 58.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Roanoke
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Roanoke Regional Airport, VA, 3 miles north of Roanoke at 1,175 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 29°F. June is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 43.0 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.5 of 43.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 77 nights a year. Snowfall averages 14.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 43.0 inches is more than at 20 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (18%). Daleville, 9 miles north, has its own station (Roanoke 8 N, VA): 45.7 inches a year, 2.7 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 29 | 3.2 | 6 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 51 | 31 | 2.9 | 5 | 4.8 |
| Mar | 59 | 38 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Year | 68 | 48 | 43.0 | 74 | 14.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Roanoke Regional Airport, VA (1,175 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 Roanoke
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 484 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Roanoke: 300 thunderstorm wind reports, 78 flash floods, 62 floods, 32 heavy rain events and 12 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $10.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 3, 2006. July has had the most flash floods, 19 of 78. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 327 have had fewer than Roanoke.
May 13, 2002: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Roanoke — 1 killed, 2 injured, $500 damage.
July 3, 2013: flood 7 miles from the centre of Roanoke — 1 killed.
September 17, 2018: flood 2 miles from the centre of Roanoke — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 53-year old woman was reported to have drowned in the Roanoke River during flooding from Florence although details were lacking in terms of location and timing. 41 feet (10,200 cfs) around mid-day on the 17th.”
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 Roanoke's 10 ZIP codes have filed 1,478 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $22.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 284 claims (19% of all) and $7.8 million, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 129 and Hurricane Michael in 2018 with 51. 34% 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, 176 have fewer than Roanoke.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 284 | $7.8 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 129 | $3.6 million |
| Hurricane Michael2018 | 51 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 25 | $108,000 |
Roanoke city, which includes Roanoke, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on October 1, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Roanoke City a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.5 million a year, the 21st highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.9 million (77%), 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.