NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tazewell, 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 Tazewell, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 8
- 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 Tazewell
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Tazewell; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Tazewell begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 50 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 Tazewell. The highest rating among the 8 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 21 miles. Of the 8, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Tazewell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1998, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tazewell.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tazewell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 73 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 Tazewell: 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 Tazewell
By decade
- 2010s1(1 EF3+)
- 1990s1
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 21 mi | 19.63 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 22 mi | 8.4 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Jan 25, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F1 | 21 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1975 | F1 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1975 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1975 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tazewell
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Tazewell since 1998, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 30, 2012. The most recent report is from September 24, 2024. June has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tazewell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Burkes Garden, VA, 9 miles east of Tazewell at 3,068 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 47.7 inches over 101 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 141 nights a year. Snowfall averages 46.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.7 inches is more than at 83 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (76%). Pounding Mill, 11 miles west, has its own station (Richlands, VA): 44.8 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 4.0 | 8 | 13.2 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 3.7 | 8 | 11.4 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 4.4 | 9 | 9.1 |
| Apr | 61 | 37 | 4.1 | 8 | 1.3 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 4.7 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 4.3 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 57 | 4.6 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 56 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 38 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Nov | 52 | 29 | 3.0 | 7 | 2.2 |
| Dec | 43 | 24 | 4.1 | 9 | 9.1 |
| Year | 60 | 38 | 47.7 | 101 | 46.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Burkes Garden, VA (3,068 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 Tazewell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 91 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tazewell: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 10 heavy rain events and 6 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $566,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on May 31, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 17. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 153 have had fewer than Tazewell.
July 5, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Tazewell — $200,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Tazewell — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Many trees and branches were downed by thunderstorm winds across northern and central portions of the county. Power lines were also taken down by the falling trees and limbs.”
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 Tazewell's ZIP code 24651 have filed 21 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 5% 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, 48 have fewer than Tazewell.
Tazewell County, which includes Tazewell, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 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 Tazewell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.2 million a year, the 35th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.5 million (76%), 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 Tazewell
- North Tazewell, VA3 mi
- Pounding Mill, VA11 mi
- Bluefield, VA12 mi
- Cedar Bluff, VA15 mi
- Richlands, VA17 mi
- Bluefield, WV19 mi
- Rural Retreat, VA20 mi
- Marion, VA20 mi
- Saltville, VA20 mi
- Raven, VA21 mi
- Welch, WV22 mi
- Bland, VA25 mi
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