NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wise, 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 Wise, Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 13
- 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 Wise
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wise; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Wise begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 72 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 Wise. The strongest of the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on May 8, 2009; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 13, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2023. Of the 364 Virginia cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wise. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 364 Virginia cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wise.
Compare Wise's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wise
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 57 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 Wise: 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 Wise
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 2000s5
- 1990s1
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 6 mi | 1.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 4, 2008 | EF1 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 3, 1983 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 20 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 10, 1953 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF0 | 23 mi | 4.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2011 | EF0 | 5 mi | 0.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 2009 | EF0 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF0 | 15 mi | 0.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2004 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wise
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Wise since 1994, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 9, 2008. The most recent report is from March 17, 2018. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wise
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wise 1SE, VA, in Wise at 2,564 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 51.8 inches over 100 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 96 nights a year. Snowfall averages 47.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.8 inches is more than at 101 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (93%). Pound, 9 miles north, has its own station (Clintwood 1W, VA): 49.2 inches a year, 2.6 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 25 | 4.3 | 9 | 12.8 |
| Feb | 47 | 27 | 4.4 | 9 | 11.6 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 4.7 | 9 | 8.6 |
| Apr | 66 | 43 | 4.8 | 9 | 1.7 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.6 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.9 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 5.8 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Dec | 46 | 29 | 4.4 | 9 | 9.6 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 51.8 | 100 | 47.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wise 1SE, VA (2,564 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 Wise
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wise: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods and 8 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $886,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 14, 2005. July has had the most flash floods, 9 of 19. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Wise.
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 Wise's ZIP code 24293 have filed 54 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $494,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 11. 4% 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, 100 have fewer than Wise.
Wise County, which includes Wise, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 12 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 Wise County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.2 million a year, the 40th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.1 million (69%), 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.