Russell County, Virginia severe weather history spans 193 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 71.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,479 nationally and #81 in Virginia.
193
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Russell County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Russell County, Virginia severe weather history averages 2.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 83 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 184 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $730K in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Russell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 137 | 0 | $730K | 70 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $315K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 17 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1974–2021 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $725K | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $265K | F1 | 1996–2011 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
Decade by decade
Russell County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-06-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-02-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Six structures flooded, including two community centers that are used as polling sites. The Cleveland Community Center had 11 inches or sewage backup from the sewer system. Four homes flooded, culverts washed out, some livestock drowned or washed away. Twenty four families were unable to get their vehicles out or get emergency responders in. Mudslide in the Swords Creek area.
An EF0 tornado touched down briefly south of Castlewood with a 20 yard path width and path length of two-tenths of a mile. The tornado produced maximum wind speeds at 70 mph. A few trees were downed due to the tornado.
Heavy rains on the 15th caused the Clinch river at Cleveland to go into flood stage during the late afternoon hours on the 15th, cresting 20.48 feet on the 16th, and falling back below flood stage during the early morning hours on the 17th. Impact statements state water affects a few houses both on Main Street and adjacent to the ballpark entrance, and approximately 35 acres about two miles up and downstream from the Highway 82 bridge. No damages reported by emergency management.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,538
Population (ACS)
$121K
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 Russell County, Virginia?
193 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Russell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 137 recorded events — 71.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Russell County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Russell County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Russell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Russell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Russell County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Russell 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
- Rockingham County 521
- Scott County 228
- Rockbridge County 360
- Shenandoah County 492
- Roanoke County 457
- Smyth County 285
Cite this page
“Russell County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/russell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.