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Hail in Buchanan County, Virginia
35 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 35 hail events in Buchanan County, Virginia, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 17 years.
May is the busiest month, with 13 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 22 events against 12 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 6,183 hail events recorded in Virginia; its 7.0 per 100 square miles compares with 15.7 statewide.
10 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with Virginia
| Measure | Buchanan County | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 35 | 6,183 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.0 | 15.7 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 17.7 | 7.2 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
8May
13Jun
9Jul
2Aug
2Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 35 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2025 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2019 | Hail | 2.00 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2019 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2018 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2011 | Hail | 1.25 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 2011 | Hail | 2.00 in | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 2011 | Hail | 2.00 in | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2010 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2009 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1997 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1996 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1996 | Hail | 2.00 in | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1977 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Buchanan County had?
35 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Buchanan County?
14 Apr 2025 (Hail, 1.25 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Buchanan County?
The hail of 3 Jun 1998, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25K.
How does Buchanan County compare with Virginia for hail?
7.0 events per 100 square miles against 15.7 statewide; the county holds 35 of the state's 6,183 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.