Smyth County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Smyth 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 27, 2024High Wind, Smyth$13.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Trees were downed countywide by high winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Helene, with the greatest concentration of damage in the Saltville area. By 2 PM EDT on Friday, over 12,100 customers were without power throughout the county. Agricultural losses totaled over $18 million, including losses to crops, as well as structure and facility damage.

2. Sep 27, 2024Flash Flood$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Runoff from continued heavy rain resulted in numerous roads becoming flooded and impassible across Smyth County per reports from the public and from the Smyth County 911 Dispatch Center. Rainfall totals ranging from four to locally seven inches were observed across much of the county on the 26th, resulting in numerous flooded creeks and rivers, as well as several roads that were covered by several inches 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 directly associated with the arrival of Tropical Storm Helene entered the county between 6:30 am and 7…

3. May 6, 2022Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds caused considerable damage between Chilhowie and Marion. Winds from these storms damaged seven commercial structures, three government buildings, and 24 residential buildings. Numerous trees and power lines were also reported down due to thunderstorm winds.

4. Apr 28, 2011Tornado$2.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado with winds estimated up to 115 MPH entered from Washington County and continued northeast until lifting at Carlock Creek Road near Brushy mountain. Five homes received significant damage to their roofs and walls. Three mobile homes were overturned as well. Several other buildings in the path also received moderate damage to their roofs. Numerous large trees were also either uprooted or snapped mid trunk.

5. Nov 19, 2003Flood, Smyth$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rains on the 18th and 19th caused flooding along the North, Middle and South Forks of the Holston River. The North Fork of the Holston at Saltville crested almost five and a half feet above flood stage, which is a record flood.There were many roads that were inundated by the flood waters, as well as property damage to many homes.

6. Mar 4, 2008Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain associated with thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding in Smyth county. Several roads including Highway 91,42,and 16 were closed because of flooding. Sulphur Spring creek, Stanley creek, and Walker creek |came out of their banks. Flash flooding occurred in the Marion, Sugar Grove, Chilhowie and Broadford areas.

7. Nov 19, 2003Flash Flood$375,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate to heavy rainfall late on the 18th and on the 19th resulted in flash flooding and small stream flooding. In addition, an isolated severe thunderstorm knocked down large tree limbs in Huddleston.Runoff from heavy rainfall resulted in numerous creeks and streams out of their banks, some of which flooded roads in Grayson, Roanoke, Bath, Alleghany, Tazewell, Wythe, Carroll, and Bland Counties and in and near Sugar Grove. In Bland County, sections of some roads were washed away by the flood waters. In Pembroke, Doe Creek flooded and damaged a barber shop. Near Lexington route 11 was closed because flood waters pushed debris into the road. In Tazewell county, businesses were…

8. Jan 19, 1996Flash Flood$250,000
9. Jun 29, 2014Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall from a thunderstorm produce up to three inches of rain. This amount of water caused flash flooding that prompted street closures along and near the main thoroughfare of the Lee Highway/Route 11/Main Steet. Specific locations closed include Route 11 near Walton Avenue, the intersection of Deer Valley and Taddler Branch, Route 11 at Pine Avenue, and portions of Hood Street. A business was inundated with flood waters along east Main Street. Damage values are estimated.

10. Jul 29, 2001Flash Flood$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Persistent heavy thunderstorm rains on the 29th produced flash flooding from late morning through the evening.Heavy rain from southwest Tazewell County to central parts of the county caused numerous streams and creeks to flood. Numerous roads were closed with several washed out. Several homes where damaged and 97 people were evacuated.In Smyth County, the heavy rain caused numerous streams and creeks to flood. In addition, major flooding occurred on the North Fork of the Holston River at Saltville. The river crested almost 2 feet above flood stage 11 PM on the 30th at Saltville. As a result of the flash flooding and the river flooding, numerous roads were flooded and closed with…

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

102°FJul 21, 1926

All-time low

−19°F2 times, most recently Feb 6, 1996

Warmest night

78°FAug 8, 1924

Coldest day

2°FFeb 8, 1895

Wettest day

4.50 inMar 18, 2002

Snowiest day

12.5 inMar 3, 1960

Hottest year

1927mean 58.1°F

Coldest year

1996mean 51.8°F

Wettest year

200363.96 in

Driest year

200731.46 in

Snowiest season

52.3 in1959-60

Station Saltville 1N (USC00447506), 1,733 ft elevation, 11.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1894 to October 23, 2026; 97.4% 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 USC00447506.
• 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.