Stonega, Virginia, located more than 300 miles inland from the Atlantic Coast, is vulnerable to hurricane impacts primarily in the form of heavy rainfall and associated flooding. These impacts are exacerbated by the town's position in the state's mountainous region with an elevation of over 2000 feet. Precipitation from tropical systems often accelerates as it rises over the higher terrain, leading to concentrated areas of heavier rainfall and placing communities like Stonega at risk for flash floods. The town's location near the Powell River underscores the potential for such flood events. Historically, the most significant hurricane event to impact Stonega was Hurricane Fran in September 1996, which, despite making landfall in North Carolina, managed to bring heavy rainfall as far west as southwestern Virginia. The event resulted in severe flooding in Stonega and its surroundings. More recently, in 2011, remnants of Hurricane Lee caused widespread flooding across the Appalachian region, emphasizing the ongoing flood risk posed by tropical systems in this area. Other storms, like Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018, though they threatened Virginia, did not directly impact Stonega. Nonetheless, Stonega, like much of southwestern Virginia, must remain prepared for the indirect impacts of Atlantic hurricanes, as heavy rainfall and resulting flood risk remain real hazards in the area.