Tazewell County, Virginia severe weather history spans 391 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 36.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,291 nationally and #29 in Virginia.
391
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$28.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Tazewell County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Tazewell County, Virginia severe weather history averages 6.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 161 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 387 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $24.3M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Tazewell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 141 | 0 | $1.7M | 87 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 99 | 0 | $57K | 2 | 1995–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 85 | 0 | $24.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 33 | 0 | $2.0M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 26 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2023 |
| Debris Flow | 5 | 0 | $70K | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Tazewell County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Tazewell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | RICHLANDS | 0 | 5 | $770K |
| Mar 7, 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Laurel Creek flooded about half of the town of Pocahontas. 25 homes, 5 businesses and 2 mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Total damage estimates reached $3.5 million, primarily due to a single business that was uninsured and destroyed. Multiple roads across northeast Tazewell County were reported to be closed due to flooding and mudslides as well.
The greatest flood impacts occurred along the Clinch River in Tazewell County, VA where the Richlands gage (RLRV2) crested at 14.33 feet (6205 cfs) which was the 9th highest on record and the highest stage since November, 2003 (14.65 ft.). This was above the Moderate flood stage of 13 feet but below Major flood stage of 16 feet. The USGS report cited above indicates approximately a 10-year (0.1 AEP) flood frequency for this event, yet flooding along lowland areas was extensive from Cedar Bluff downstream through Richlands and into the Doran and Raven communities. News reports mentioned water up to four feet deep in parts of Richlands. There were numerous evacuations conducted and homes and businesses flooded along with numerous roads flooded and some damaged. Preliminary damages for Tazewell County estimated at around $1.65 million by VDEM. This included $273,000 in damage to public property, $573,0000 in residential damage and $808,000 to commercial property. An additional $200,000 in road damage was reported by VDOT.
Heavy rain caused Beaverpond Creek to flood out of its banks at multiple locations. Water was observed flowing up to the top of the bridge at Stockton Street, with water entering multiple homes several inches deep on Skyline Drive. Further downstream, multiple images on social media indicate Beaverpond Creek flooding out of its banks and into businesses along both S. College Avenue and Walnut Street.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
39,624
Population (ACS)
$118K
Median home value
25
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 |
| Sep 30, 2022 | Severe Storm | FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Richlands 141
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Tazewell County, Virginia?
391 events are on record between 1960 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Tazewell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 141 recorded events — 36.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Tazewell County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Tazewell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Tazewell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tazewell County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 60 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Tazewell 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
- Sussex County 243
- Warren County 310
- Surry County 181
- Stafford County 460
- Washington County 299
- Spotsylvania County 483
Cite this page
“Tazewell County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/tazewell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.