Blacksburg, VA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Blacksburg is higher than Virginia average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Blacksburg is lower than Virginia average and is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #10
| Blacksburg, VA | 1.34 |
| Virginia | 0.20 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Blacksburg, VA | 0.0000 |
| Virginia | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #933
| Blacksburg, VA | 26.01 |
| Virginia | 88.66 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 3,343 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Blacksburg, VA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 1 | Cold: | 37 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 35 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 575 | Hail: | 1,055 | Heat: | 14 | Heavy Snow: | 102 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 28 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 91 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,263 | Tropical Storm: | 2 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 27 | Winter Weather: | 9 |
| Other: | 104 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Blacksburg, VA.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 3 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Blacksburg, VA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 33.6 | 1969-11-20 | 4.3 | N/A | 37.4 | -81 |
| 16.5 | 1968-03-08 | 3.9 | N/A | 37 | -80.5 |
| 10.3 | 1974-05-30 | 3.6 | 8 | 37.38 | -80.42 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 14 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Blacksburg, VA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 23.6 | 1953-05-17 | 2 | 37°12'N / 80°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Roanoke | |
| 24.6 | 1976-07-11 | 2 | 37°36'N / 80°34'W | 37°33'N / 80°31'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 25.4 | 1974-04-04 | 2 | 37°18'N / 80°02'W | 37°19'N / 79°55'W | 6.50 Miles | 177 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Roanoke |
| 28.3 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 37°30'N / 80°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Summers | |
| 29.6 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 37°38'N / 80°28'W | 37°41'N / 80°30'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 32.0 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 37°41'N / 80°30'W | 37°42'N / 80°29'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greenbrier |
| 34.9 | 1977-08-21 | 2 | 36°44'N / 80°32'W | 1.00 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Carroll | |
| 35.9 | 2004-09-17 | 2 | 37°15'N / 79°47'W | 37°17'N / 79°46'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bedford |
| Brief Description: At 1212 EST, an F0 tornado touched down near Dickerson Road, and the width was less than 50 yards. The tornado damage path widened and varied from 100 yards to as much as 300 yards, as it did moderate to strong F1 damage to trees. A few homes suffered only minor damage to shingles and roofs, mainly due to trees falling on them. As the F1 tornado crossed Highway 24 at 1215 EST, it continued to damage trees, and was about 75 yards wide. A poorly constructed building was demolished. As the tornado moved north, it continued to down trees. Also, a car was pivoted in a driveway but undamaged. Minor structural and roof damage to homes occurred, as the tornado increased to a weak F2. The tornado weakened to F0 by 1217 EST, downing more trees along County Road 619. | |||||||||||
| 37.5 | 1996-06-09 | 2 | 37°10'N / 79°45'W | 37°10'N / 79°45'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Franklin |
| 38.2 | 1975-04-24 | 2 | 37°47'N / 80°28'W | 6.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenbrier | |
| 38.8 | 1965-04-12 | 2 | 37°24'N / 81°06'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mercer | |||
| 41.8 | 2004-09-17 | 2 | 36°43'N / 79°57'W | 36°49'N / 79°56'W | 7.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 4 | 53.8M | 0 | Henry |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down near Fieldale at 1104 EST. The F1 tornado crossed U.S. Highway 220 turning over 2 tractor-trailer trucks and 2 passenger vehicles. All 4 drivers suffered minor injuries. The tornado damage patch widened to a quarter mile, and strengthened to F2 as it approached and struck a factory. At this location, around 40 vehicles were severely damaged or destroyed. The factory experienced significant damage. The tornado then proceeded north and entered a residential subdivision, but only minor roof and tree damage occurred here. The tornado path became intermittent as it continued north and the damage was limited to trees. The tornado crossed into Franklin County at 1114 EST. | |||||||||||
| 47.4 | 1964-07-12 | 2 | 36°42'N / 79°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Henry | |
| 48.4 | 1996-07-15 | 2 | 37°21'N / 79°34'W | 37°21'N / 79°33'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 140K | 0 | Bedford |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.