Ashe County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Ashe County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by NC GS (17), NASA (3).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 27, 2024Flash Flood$116 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Runoff from continued heavy rain resulted in numerous roads becoming flooded and impassible across Ashe County per reports from the public and from the Ashe County 911 Dispatch Center. Rainfall totals ranging from 7 to locally 11 inches were observed across much of the county on the 26th, resulting in numerous flooded creeks, as well as several roads that were covered by several inches to feet of flowing water. After a brief lull in rainfall as the Predecessor Rainfall Event concluded early on the morning of the 27th, allowing flooding to slow down briefly, heavy rain associated with the arrival of Tropical Storm Helene moved across the county, falling at rates of 1 to 2 inches…

2. Sep 27, 2024High Wind, Ashe$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thousands of trees were downed by high winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Helene across the county, with swaths of tree damage reported near Othello, and the town of Lansing received extensive damage. Countless roads were blocked and hundreds of power poles were broken. The strongest winds arrived around 7 AM EDT on Friday, and the peak wind was measured just before 10 AM EDT Friday. Over 22,000 customers were reported without power by 11 AM on Friday, and cell phone service was also lost for many parts of the county. A peak wind gust of 85 mph was recorded at 9:56 AM EDT in Lihue Knob. Timber damage alone totaled over $9.5 million.

3. Apr 13, 2020Flash Flood$340,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several roads and culverts roads were damaged in flash flooding across Ashe County. A culvert collapsed on Frank Dillard Road causing a truck to fall into a large hole. The shoulder of the road at the intersection of Cranberry Springs Road and Liberty Grove Church Road was damaged.

4. Oct 29, 2012High Wind, Ashe$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were recorded at instrumentation at the airport near West Jefferson. These damaging winds downed trees and power lines near Warrensville and throughout the county. Damage values are estimated.

5. Jan 8, 1998Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms in northwestern North Carolina during the evening hours on the 7th and early morning hours on the 8th resulted in flash flooding and damaging winds.Flash flooding in Watauga County resulted in the evacuation of 7 homes in Foscoe and a nursing home in Boone and flooded numerous roads. Several roads were damaged from flood waters in the northeastern portion of Ashe County. Flood waters washed out a bridge on Brushy Creek near Cherry Lane in Alleghany County and flooded and damaged some roads in Wilkes County.In Surry County, thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and outbuildings in Low Gap and knocked down trees throughout Surry County.

6. Jul 8, 2016Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds across portions of Ashe County. An estimated 50 power poles were snapped in the county by thunderstorm winds. At the peak of the storm, more than 18,000 BREMCO customers were without power. There were 40 calls to Ashe County 911 about debris, trees and power lines blown down.

7. Jan 27, 1998Heavy Snow, Ashe$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy wet snow developed during the early morning hours on the 27th and continued until around noon on the 28th. Total snowfall amounts were generally from 18 to 36 inches with maximum snow depths from14 to 24 inches. The heavy wet snow closed schools, businesses, and church services and stranded people in homes and vehicles. There were numerous traffic accidents, some with injuries indirectly attributed to the storm. The snow was so deep that even four-wheel drive vehicles got stuck. The weight of the snow knocked down utility lines, trees, and tree limbs, resulting in thousands of people without power. At one point, it was estimated that half of Watauga County was without power.…

8. Feb 6, 2020Flood$139,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   At least 34 gravel roads were damaged by floodwaters and number of paved roads as well. Damages were estimated at $139,000.

9. Sep 25, 2011Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash Flooding occurred along both Elk Creek in Todd and along Fox Creek southeast of Todd. Elk Creek flooded some roads in Todd, and Fox Creek flooded Todd Railroad Grade Road. Damage values are estimated.

10. Sep 18, 2018Debris Flow$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A landslide caused by the heavy rains from Florence knocked down a power pole and brought the lines down on a business in Warrensville, causing a large fire. Photos showed the two-story structure enveloped in flames.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

98°FAug 21, 1925

All-time low

−20°FDec 30, 1917

Warmest night

77°FJul 28, 1943

Coldest day

−1°FDec 25, 1983

Wettest day

9.10 inSep 27, 2024

Snowiest day

23.0 inJan 28, 1998

Hottest year

1911mean 55.0°F

Coldest year

1917mean 49.0°F

Wettest year

201879.43 in

Driest year

192528.29 in

Snowiest season

76.2 in1959-60

Station Jefferson 2 E (USC00314496), 2,759 ft elevation, 3.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1896 to October 25, 2026; 98.3% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00314496.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.