NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rose Hill, 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 Rose Hill, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Rose Hill
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rose Hill; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Rose Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 70 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2020s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 91% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rose Hill. The strongest of the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 9, 1988; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 31, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on February 6, 2025. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rose Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 15 times since 1968, with stones up to 5 inches. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rose Hill.
Compare Rose Hill's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rose Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 45 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 Rose Hill: 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 Rose Hill
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s8
- 2000s10
- 1990s3
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1988 | F3 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 17 mi | 2.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 19 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 6, 1980 | F2 | 7 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 3.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2013 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 7 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rose Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 15 hail reports within 10 miles of Rose Hill since 1968, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5 inches, fell on April 23, 1968. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 6 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rose Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Baxter, KY, 14 miles north of Rose Hill at 1,164 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 26°F. March and December are the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 52.3 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. That 52.3 inches is more than at 104 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (95%). Ewing, 8 miles west, has its own station (Tazewell, TN): 54.6 inches a year, 2.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 5.0 | 10 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 4.9 | 8 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.8 | 10 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 52.3 | 95 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Baxter, KY (1,164 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 Rose Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rose Hill: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $277,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 14, 2005. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 25 have had fewer than Rose Hill.
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
Lee County, which includes Rose Hill, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 13 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 Lee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.4 million a year, the 45th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.6 million (75%), 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 Rose Hill
- Ewing, VA8 mi
- Jonesville, VA11 mi
- Sneedville, TN11 mi
- Harlan, KY12 mi
- Wallins Creek, KY12 mi
- Harrogate, TN16 mi
- Tazewell, TN16 mi
- Evarts, KY18 mi
- Pennington Gap, VA18 mi
- Cumberland Gap, TN19 mi
- Middlesboro, KY21 mi
- Pineville, KY22 mi
All Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Rose Hill with another place →