NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Willis, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Willis, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 22
- 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 Willis
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Willis; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 70 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Willis begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 8 miles away. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Willis. The highest rating among the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 23, 2022, came within 10 miles. Of the 22, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 5. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Willis. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1996, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Willis has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Willis
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 43 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 Willis: 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 Willis
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s7
- 2000s3
- 1990s5
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF2 | 10 mi | 1.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 2021 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 2021 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2019 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 3.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2005 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F1 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 22, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Willis
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Willis since 1996, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 10, 2011. The most recent report is from August 30, 2024. May has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Willis
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Christiansburg, VA, 20 miles north of Willis at 2,100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 42.1 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (21.0 of 42.1 inches). September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 42.1 inches is more than at 15 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (14%). Hillsville, 12 miles southwest, has its own station (Galax Radio Wbrf, VA): 45.7 inches a year, 3.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 3.2 | 6 | 6.3 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 2.8 | 6 | 6.6 |
| Mar | 53 | 32 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.7 |
| Apr | 64 | 41 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.3 |
| May | 71 | 50 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 43 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 3.2 | 7 | 4.4 |
| Year | 63 | 42 | 42.1 | 82 | 21.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Christiansburg, VA (2,100 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 Willis
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 74 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Willis: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 8, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 10. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 69 have had fewer than Willis.
September 29, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Willis — $3.1 million damage.
July 9, 2003: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Willis — $150,000 damage.
October 11, 2018: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Willis — $129,000 damage.
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
Floyd County, which includes Willis, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 5 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, on April 4, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Floyd County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.8 million a year, the 114th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.2 million (59%), 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 Willis
- Hillsville, VA12 mi
- Riner, VA12 mi
- Floyd, VA12 mi
- Ararat, VA16 mi
- Draper, VA17 mi
- Radford, VA19 mi
- Cana, VA19 mi
- Woodlawn, VA19 mi
- Dublin, VA19 mi
- Pulaski, VA20 mi
- Christiansburg, VA20 mi
- Stuart, VA21 mi
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