Blue Ridge, Virginia, although it's approximately 240 miles inland from the Atlantic coast, is not completely immune to the risks posed by hurricanes and tropical storms. The main risks for Blue Ridge in the event of a hurricane would generally come from the heavy rainfall and winds carried by the remnants of a storm after it makes landfall on the coast. Historically, hurricanes making landfall on the southern East Coast pose the largest threat to Blue Ridge as they can follow a trajectory that takes them over the region. Notably, heavy rainfall can lead to localized flooding, especially around bodies of water. Additionally, with Blue Ridge’s elevation of almost 1,300 feet, land/mudslides could be a risk in hilly or mountainous areas, particularly if the ground is already saturated from previous precipitation. In the past 30 years, the biggest storm impact in Blue Ridge came from remnants of Hurricane Fran in 1996, which brought heavy rainfall to the area for an extended period, causing significant flooding and wind damage. More recently, in 2011, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee also caused flooding in parts of Virginia, although Blue Ridge was less directly impacted. Even indirect or weakened storm systems highlight the potential for flooding and wind damage, making them significant considerations for storm preparations and response in the Blue Ridge area. While it's unlikely for direct hurricane impacts such as storm surge or category 3+ winds to affect Blue Ridge due to its geographical location, the residual effects of such storms moving inland can have potent impacts.