[2] During spring, flash flooding can occur with runoff from nearby mountains, and during fall tropical storms can bring heavy amounts of rainfall and damaging winds, such as during Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Research has been undertaken at Virginia Tech and at the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg to examine the potential for flash flooding along creeks, streams, and rivers in Pulaski County using geographic information systems (GIS) and field methods.

The worst river flooding in Snowville's recorded history occurred on August 14, 1940, with the passage of a slow-moving tropical depression.

Four days later on August 10 the S.S. Maine off the southeast coast measured hurricane-force winds and the storm began movement again toward the northwest.

The storm made landfall as a category 1 hurricane on August 11 at approximately 4 PM near Beaufort, South Carolina (along the SC/GA border).

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauge located at the Snowville bridge along the Little River (see photo at right) measured an all-time record height of 16 feet 5 inches which is more than 15 higher than what is normally observed throughout the year.

[5][6] Downstream in Radford, Virginia residents in low-lying areas were forced to evacuate their homes and both the former Burlington Mills and the Lynchburg Foundry manufacturing plants were shut down because of high water.

Thankfully, no deaths were reported across southwest Virginia, but several million dollars worth of damage occurred (1940 USD).

The sign was donated by local resident Anthony Phillips, a hydrometeorologist from Snowville, Virginia and installation was sponsored by the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey through the High Water Mark (HWM) Project.

[9] More recently in 2004, the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne produced flooding when the Little River reached a height of 11 feet 4 inches, the ninth-highest crest of all time.

According to the United States Census Bureau[10] there were 1,865 people, 757 occupied households, and 576 families residing in the Greater Hiwassee-Snowville community in 2000.

Today, Snowville is a sleepy little community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains; however, decades and even centuries before, it was a prosperous and well-known town, even eclipsing Roanoke at one time.

On his journey through the area, Snow noticed the potential for water power present along the Little River and envisioned a town along its banks.

Additionally, families from nearby areas also made the town their home; they included the Amens, Millers, Palmers, Godbys, Winstons, Graysons, Bishops, and Abels.

The Slenkers were skilled in the textiles; the Bills were merchants and promoters; the Snows, Palmers, Godbys, and Winstons were millwrights and carpenters; and the Bullards were tanners and shoemakers.

The cast iron was collected as scrap and later made into stoves, kettles, corn shellers, cane mills, and many more other cast-iron products.

Visitors and residents today can still see the large open pits where the leather was tanned along Route 693 and the "bottom lands".

Known as the Red Barn (due to the building's color), this shoe factory was one of the greatest manufacturing plants of its day in southwestern Virginia.

During the Civil War, swords and Bowie knives were made in Snowville for the Confederate Army and delivered to Christiansburg where they were shipped out.

There are records of eggs being brought from the surrounding countryside to Snowville, where they were sold for merchandise, then packed into barrels with wood shavings and sawdust, and finally sent to large cities.

During the middle and late 20th century, a large still operation was present near Buck Hollow Ridge and Big Laurel Creek.

[12] Although rare today, the art and science of distilling spirits in the mountains is rumored to still be present (see External Links section).

When tolling was a practice, a death would be announced by the tapping of the bell three times by an attachment especially made for that purpose; this was then followed by individual strokes, one for each year of life, to indicate the age of the deceased.

It has long been regarded as the center of the denomination's movement in Virginia and considered by some to be the seat of the only true, New Testament Christian Church.

Dr. Chester Bullard, the brother-in-law to Asiel Snow, is credited for establishing several churches within the Disciples of Christ, both in Snowville and elsewhere.

The most prominent event that led to this decline was the establishment of the railroad which completely bypassed Snowville, running through Christiansburg and Radford.

The Radford Army Ammunition Plant also currently employs residents from the community, as do several other large manufacturing facilities in the NRV.

Students seeking higher education commonly enroll at New River Community College, Radford University, or Virginia Tech.

Ottari, along with Camp Powhatan to the west, are part of the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation, which comprises over 16,000 acres (65 km2) of mountain land.