A strong upper level disturbance combined with weak instability to drive a squall line across portions of Southwest Virginia. Very strong winds aloft were able to mix down to the surface leading to many reports of downed trees.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.
A strong upper level disturbance combined with weak instability to drive a squall line across portions of Southwest Virginia. Very strong winds aloft were able to mix down to the surface leading to many reports of downed trees. This line weakened as it approached the mountains, with no severe reports east of the mountains.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 25, 7:33 AM EST, 52 minutes earlier.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:27 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds blew down several trees in the Saltville area. Damage amounts are estimated.
Trees and power lines were blown down across the area. Damage amounts are estimated.
Strong thunderstorms caused a measured wind gust to 62 MPH.
Widespread wind damage across the county. Numerous trees and power lines down with some structural damage. Heaviest damage occurred between Seven Mile Ford and Marion. Damage amounts are estimated.
Strong thunderstorms produced a measured wind gust of 58 MPH.
Strong thunderstorms produced winds that downed trees across the county. Damage amounts are estimated.
Strong thunderstorm winds blew down power lines. Damage amounts are estimated.
Strong winds caused a house trailer to blow off its blocks.
Power lines were blown down on Old Stage Road. Damage amounts are estimated.
Trees were blown down by strong winds on Burkes Garden Road.
A large tree was blown down by strong winds.
A telephone line was blown down on Stroup Mountain Road. Damage amounts are estimated.
Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds on Stones Chapel Road.
A tree was blown down on Route 94 near Hilltown.
A couple of small trees were blown down in Randolph Park.
One large tree was blown down at the corner of Wadsworth Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, October 2010
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 264044, 264045, 264046, 264061, 264047, 264048, 264050, 264051, 264052, 264053, 264054, 264055, 264056, 264057, 264058, 264059.