48
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$1.3M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Roanoke city, Virginia: 48 recorded events between 1978 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #2,737 nationally and #107 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Roanoke city, Virginia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Roanoke city is the 2000s, when 19 of the county's 48 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 Roanoke city archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 27.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,737 for this hazard and #107 within Virginia, putting it in the 13.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Roanoke city with 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2002 | ROANOKE | 0 | 1 | 2 | $500 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2025 | ROANOKE | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 1, 2025 | VINTON | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 1, 2025 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA | 50 | $1K |
| Aug 9, 2022 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA | 50 | $4K |
| Aug 15, 2016 | SUNSET VLG | 55 | $25K |
| Aug 11, 2015 | ROANOKE | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 16, 2013 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA | 53 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2013 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA | 62 | $25K |
| Jul 27, 2012 | ROANOKE | 50 | $300 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | (ROA)WOODRUM FLD ROA | 70 | $750K |
Other hazards here
More from Roanoke city
- Flash Flood 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees across the City of Roanoke. The winds also blew a roof off a house, and power lines were downed. Roanoke Regional Airport measured at wind gust of 81 MPH. Damage values were estimated.
Winds gusting up to 75 MPH brought down numerous trees across the city. The winds also moved around four to five small planes at the Roanoke Regional Airport with at least two damaged. One of the damaged planes was flipped over. At one point 11,000 customers were without power in the city and county.
Thunderstorm winds blew several trees down on Norway Avenue, additional trees were blown down on the west side of the City of Roanoke in the Norwood Forest region, between Greenridge Road and Peters Creek Road. One tree fell on a home causing minor damage.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Roanoke city, Virginia?
48 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Roanoke city between 1978 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Roanoke city?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Roanoke city measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Roanoke city 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 Roanoke city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/roanoke-city/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.