Washington County, Virginia severe weather history spans 299 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 67.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,788 nationally and #45 in Virginia.
299
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
55
Direct injuries
$110.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Virginia severe weather history averages 4.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 284 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washington County, Virginia record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $105.3M 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 Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 203 | 2 | $1.2M | 65 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 42 | 0 | $170K | 2.75 | 1995–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 27 | 0 | $105.3M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $16K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 12 | 4 | $3.5M | F3 | 1953–2012 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2011 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 3 | 50 | 19.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-04 | EF3 | 1 | 4 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-01-25 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-02-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-06-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-04-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | CLIP | 3 | 50 | $3.0M |
| Aug 7, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | BRISTOL | 1 | 1 | $5K |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $250K | |
| Jun 19, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | ABINGDON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 26, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | DAMASCUS | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jun 27, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bristol | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jul 10, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Glade Spring Tornado. An NWS storm survey reported an EF3 tornado formed south of Abingdon and tracked northeast to the Glade Spring area then moved into Smyth County Virginia. The 140 mph wind speed associated with the tornado, destroyed a small church as well as producing extensive damage to many residences and businesses. The tornado crossed I-81 at the Glade Spring exit (Exit 29) and caused extensive damage to a large truck stop as well as flipping trucks on the property. One truck turned on its side and smashed into the corner of the restaurant. ||Three people died and 50 were injured by the tornado. A 59 year old man and a 67 year old women died when the tornado destroyed their mobile homes. In addition, a 71 year old man died in his home. An indirect death occurred when a 60-year-old woman, driving a car rear-ended a stationary tractor trailer.
Broadcast media personnel reported a pedestrian was struck by a falling tree in the 100 block of West Main street in Abingdon. The victim was a 56 year old at the time of the event. At the time of the event the peak wind gusts were only recorded at 24 mph via the CWOP station 1 mile south of Abingdon.
Several people became trapped in a convenience store when the parking lot and surrounding area became flooded with over five feet of water. Most roads in the Meadowview community and surrounding area were flooded and closed. One lane of Interstate 81 southbound was covered in water. Traffic was heavily impacted. Hillman Highway and US Highway 11 were underwater and closed in many locations. Roadbeds were undermined.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
53,926
Population (ACS)
$214K
Median home value
20
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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Abingdon 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Virginia?
299 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $110.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 203 recorded events — 67.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington 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
- Westmoreland County 213
- Warren County 310
- Wise County 222
- Tazewell County 391
- Wythe County 266
- Sussex County 243
Cite this page
“Washington County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.