Patrick County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Patrick 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.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 29, 2015Flash Flood$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding and flash flooding was widespread across Patrick County. Numerous creeks and rivers were reported out of banks with dozens of road closures across the county for much of the day. An apartment complex was evacuated due to a mudslide and multiple swift water rescues were carried out. Polebridge Creek west of Sanville was reported out of its banks and Big Ivy Creek flooded a portion of Route 58 southeast of Meadows of Dan. The Smith River gage at Woolwine (SMWV2) reached its highest crest on record (data only back to 1995) at 16.11 feet (6300 cfs) at 500 AM (EST) on the 29th (old record 12.20 ft. on 9/28/2004). This is a revised value based on a post-flood analysis by VA…

2. Apr 14, 2006Wildfire, Patrick$3.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   During the early afternoon of April 14th, 2006 a dissipating complex of thunderstorms moved into southwest Virginia from West Virginia. Lightning from one of the associated thunderstorms started a wildfire on Bull Mountain in central Patrick Co. Virginia. Due to dry insitu conditions, the fire grew to ultimately consume nearly 4000 forest acres of both state and private lands. Also destroyed were 3 homes, 6 structures, and a variety of personal property. There was a mandatory evacuation of 40 families with an additional 35 families recommended to evacuate, and many roads leading to the fire scene were closed by local officials. The fire prompted a declartion of a State of…

3. Sep 29, 2015Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding continued much of the day across Patrick County. Dozens of roads remained closed by late afternoon. U.S. Route 58 and VA State Highway 8 both major thoroughfares were under 2 to 3 feet of water around 400 PM. Several businesses in downtown Stuart were flooded and several other businesses on U.S. 58 were flooded including the W and W produce store and Wal Mart.

4. Sep 17, 2018Flash Flood$466,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Patrick County was declared a Major Disaster under the Presidential Declaration. Calls to 911 dispatch about flooding began shortly 1250 AM EST with water reported near some homes Riverside Drive along Poorhouse Creek in Stuart. At the same time water was also over the road on portions of Jeb Stuart Highway (Route 58) just north of Stuart. Several other roads were later reported closed with up to 1.5 feet of water flowing across Jacks Creek Road. The river gage on the Smith River near Woolwine (SMWV2) gage showed a rise in less than six hours to a crest of 12.35 feet, Minor flood stage is 9 feet and Moderate flood stage 11 feet. This was the 2nd highest reading at this gage since…

5. May 20, 2020Heavy Rain$464,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The NWS Cooperative station at Woolwine 4 S (WLWV2) had its wettest May day on record with 5.52 inches for the 24-hour period ending 700 AM EST on May 21st. The previous May record was 3.61 inches on May 12, 1961. An all-time record for 3-day rainfall at 10.25 inches ending 700 AM on May 22nd was also established at this site. For a 3-day period this rainfall total is in the 90 percent confidence interval (9.57 to 11.50 inches) for a 50-year recurrence event (.02 annual exceedance probability). At a 4-day duration this station measured 11.90 inches, the 2nd highest of any 4-day period on record (after September 27-30, 2015 at 13.34 inches). For a 4-day period this rainfall total…

6. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds blew hundreds of trees down across the county. Many of these trees brought down power lines as they fell. One tree fell on a house in Patrick Springs. Another tree fell on a cabin. Damage values are estimated.

7. May 21, 2020Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple Creeks in the Buffalo Ridge area were out of their banks and numerous roadways blocked by floodwaters. The spotter reported 11.33 inches of rain in the event so far. VDOT reported considerable road and infrastructure damage in Patrick County.

8. Feb 24, 2016Tornado$205,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado occurred in the Ararat area of Patrick County. The tornado touched down near the end of epperson lane and continued across Ararat Highway where about a half-dozen homes had minor roof damage. The tornado proceeded across pond road where a mobile home was blown off its foundation and further tree damage occurred. ||The tornado was on the ground for less than 2 miles but at its peak was half a mile wide. Patrick County Emergency Management said that a total of 22 homes were damaged and one completely destroyed. Several outbuildings and hundreds of trees were blown down by the storm. No injuries were reported.

9. Jan 25, 2010Flash Flood$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Approximately four inches of rain generated flash flooding. A portion of Commerce Street just east of Stuart was washed out. Damage values are estimated.

10. Sep 27, 2024High Wind, Patrick$135,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous trees and powerlines were downed across the county by high winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Helene, especially the Ararat area. Over 3,700 customers were reported without power at the peak of the high winds, during the early afternoon of Friday. Agriculture damages alone totaled over $120,000, which includes damages to crops, facilities, land, and structures.

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

100°F8 times, most recently Jul 4, 2026

All-time low

−13°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

77°F2 times, most recently Sep 7, 1985

Coldest day

7°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

7.15 inAug 18, 1985

Snowiest day

14.0 inFeb 13, 1960

Hottest year

1998mean 58.7°F

Coldest year

1978mean 54.6°F

Wettest year

202079.36 in

Driest year

198633.03 in

Snowiest season

38.9 in1986-87

Station Stuart (USC00448170), 1,375 ft elevation, 2.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1960 to October 23, 2026; 97.9% 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 USC00448170.
• 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.
• 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.