404
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Virginia: 404 recorded events between 1974 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #204 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Virginia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County is the 2010s, when 189 of the county's 404 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Franklin County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 53.2% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #204 for this hazard and #7 within Virginia, putting it in the 93.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Franklin County with 112 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2012 | NAFF | 65 | 1 | 0 | $750K |
| Jun 17, 2022 | WIRTZ | 50 | 0 | 1 | $500 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2025 | HARDYS FORD | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 18, 2025 | FERRUM | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 15, 2025 | SNYDERSVILLE | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | SNYDERSVILLE | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 13, 2025 | HARDYS FORD | 55 | $2K |
| Jun 27, 2025 | HARDYS FORD | 50 | $3K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | REDWOOD | 50 | $2K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | UNION HALL | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | BURNT CHIMNEY | 55 | $6K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | HARDYS FORD | 50 | $3K |
Other hazards here
More from Franklin County
- Hail 194
- Flash Flood 94
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds blew numerous trees down across the county. A mobile home suffered major damage as a fallen tree split the structure in half. Several other homes across the northern part of the county suffered minor to moderate damage from fallen trees in the Boones Mill to Burnt Chimney and Smith Mountain Lake areas. A firefighter was initially injured by a falling tree while responding to a call in his vehicle. The individual later died as a result of the injuries. Damage values are estimated.
A severe thunderstorm winds spun like a dervish and split a large tree in front of the Century 21 real estate office. Nearby a massive poplar tree fell on a house, destroyed a sports utility vehicle, and damaged another. Limbs from the downed tree pierced the roof of the house and came through the living room ceiling producing two large holes. Rainwater entered through the holes and soaked the wooden flooring and furniture inside. Damage values are estimated.
A microburst struck a 4 mile radius around Fork Mountain in southern Franklin county along U.S. Route 220, or 2 miles south of Sydnorsville. A 4 foot diameter red oak tree was uprooted and fell on a house and carport. The carport and house were flattened causing 6 people to evacuate the house. Several homes had windows broken. Several hundred trees were downed in the area.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Franklin County, Virginia?
404 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Franklin County between 1974 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Franklin County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Franklin County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Franklin County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Franklin County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/franklin-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.