Dickenson County, Virginia severe weather history spans 192 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,486 nationally and #82 in Virginia.
192
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Dickenson County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dickenson County, Virginia severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 69 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 3 events fall before 1990 and 189 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dickenson County, Virginia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $1.5M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dickenson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 87 | 1 | $415K | 60 | 1982–2026 |
| Hail | 43 | 0 | $30K | 2.25 | 1981–2019 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 21 | 0 | $302K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2001 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $255K | F1 | 1974–2009 |
Decade by decade
Dickenson County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dickenson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | VICEY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Downpours from thunderstorms occurred between 0145 and 0300E over the western and southern portion of the county. Rains of 2.5 to 4 inches fell over saturated terrain. Clintwood measured 2.9 inches, most of which fell in 90 minutes. The heaviest amounts were likely along the Wise County border. The hardest hit region was around Clintwood, Georges Fork, and Darwin. This included such small streams as Lick Fork, Long Fork, Georges Fork, and Holly Creek. Flooded homes and vehicles, washed out roads and bridges, downed power lines, and uprooted trees were common reports. The owner of the general store in Darwin reportedly said the flood damage was the worst in the 100 year history of the store. One resident of Darwin, raised up in bed, and stepped out into water. She and her husband remained in the rented house until evacuated by a rescue squad. Businesses and the high school in Clintwood had some flood damage. The state indicated that 60 people were evacuated in Dickenson County. One home was destroyed, while 12 homes and 13 businesses were damaged.
Rains of 2.5 to 4 inches were common in 12 hours, with isolated amounts of 4 to 6 inches. The cooperative observer at John Flannagan Lake measured 4 inches. Birch Gap, along the Kentucky border, measured 5.9 inches, Clincho 5.1 inches, and Nealy Ridge 4.8 inches. Clintwood had 2.9 inches of rain. The sheriff reported flooding along Route 80, plus around Haysi.
Rainfall of 2 to 3 inches in 1 to 2 hours on the western slopes of the Ohio-Tennessee River divide, flooded Lick Fork, Fryingpan Creek and Indian Creek. Sullivan Branch washed out sections of Route 688 near Duty. Around 40 families were either flooded or isolated by the flood waters. County officials reported 14 small private bridges were destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,733
Population (ACS)
$103K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 1, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Sep 29, 2024 | Tropical Storm | POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE HELENE | EM |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dickenson County, Virginia?
192 events are on record between 1974 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $2.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dickenson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 87 recorded events — 45.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dickenson County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dickenson County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dickenson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dickenson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dickenson County as very low risk, placing it in the 18 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dickenson County, Virginia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Cumberland County 157
- Dinwiddie County 244
- Culpeper County 481
- Craig County 97
- Essex County 170
- Clarke County 309
Cite this page
“Dickenson County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/dickenson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.