Alleghany County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51005 · population 15,205 · 447 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 331 records for Alleghany County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 276 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (102 records). The deadliest single record is the June 25, 2006 flood: 1 death, 1 injury and $73,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1969, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 23, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 331on 276 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 255 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $22Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Alleghany County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 102 since 1960. 65% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Virginia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 102 | 79 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 1 | $878K | 87 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 73 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $107K | 71 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 42 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 50 | $349K | 22 of 96 |
| Floods | 39 | 33 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 4 | $16M | 66 of 96 |
| Hail | 39 | 33 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 63 of 96 |
| Drought | 12 | 12 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $398K | 36 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 8 | 1996-2014 | 0 | 0 | $307K | 36 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2018-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 88 of 96 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $211K | 52 of 96 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 2 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | 10 of 96 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2008-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 69 of 96 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Alleghany County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindPotts Creek, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindLowmoor, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindClifton Forge City, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindHematite, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-16 | Flash FloodFalling Spg, Alleghany County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindNatural Well, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindFalling Spg, Alleghany County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-04-15 | High WindAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-25 | FloodCountywide, Alleghany County One fatality of a heavy rain event occurred on 27 June, when an 8-year old girl in Alleghany county (VA) was apparently swept into a drainage culvert near Dunlap Creek west of Covington. This occurred as runoff into Dunlap Creek was extremely high due to storms that pushed across the area the previous few hours with ... | 1 | 1 | $73K | |
| 1997-10-20 | High WindAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany / Clifton Forge / Covington A logger was killed when a very localized area of high winds caused a tree to fall on him. The tree that fell was not being cut down and other workers attempts to alert the man failed. The very freak accident occurred about 2 miles south of Hematite in Alleghany County. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-04-02 | High WindAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county. Damage values are estimated. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 50 | $80K |
| 2016-06-23 | Flash FloodJerrys Run, Alleghany County Flash flooding was first reported in Alleghany County at 215 PM EDT (115 PM EST) as Indian Draft Road (Route 600) was closed. Numerous additional reports and social media reports continued to be received through the afternoon. Numerous small streams flooded including Wilson Creek which overflowed Route 629 (Douthat ... | 0 | 3 | $7.5M | |
| 1984-03-21 | Thunderstorm WindAlleghany County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-23 | Flash FloodJerrys Run, Alleghany County | 0 | 3 | $7.5M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Alleghany County | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2012-04-07 | WildfireAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 2012-04-07 | WildfireAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2010-09-30 | FloodClifton Forge City, Alleghany County | 0 | 0 | $677K | |
| 2010-05-28 | Flash FloodSweet Chalybeate, Alleghany County | 0 | 0 | $338K | |
| 2007-04-09 | Frost/FreezeAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | $303K | |
| 2016-04-02 | High WindAlleghany County · forecast zone Alleghany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 50 | $80K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Alleghany County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 33 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 23 | 26 | 9 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 20 | 16 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 10 | 17 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 8 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
65% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 32 · Feb 43 · Mar 19 · Apr 28 · May 32 · Jun 57 · Jul 43 · Aug 16 · Sep 14 · Oct 11 · Nov 8 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Alleghany County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Alleghany County: 13 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4512 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3448 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-09-11 | EM-3403 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-27 | DR-4072 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2006-07-13 | DR-1655 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-18 | DR-1570 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding From the Remanants of Hurricane Jeanne |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1135 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond |
| 1996-01-27 | DR-1098 | Flood | Flooding, High Winds, and Wind Driven Rain |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1969-08-23 | DR-274 | Hurricane | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Alleghany County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 39 flood or flash flood records for Alleghany County from 1996 to 2025, on 33 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Alleghany County ranks 905th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.9 million on 213 claims filed in Alleghany County; the most in one year was 71 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 8 · 1979: 3 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 41 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 5 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 71 · 1998: 8 · 2003: 12 · 2004: 15 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2016: 24 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2025: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Alleghany County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alleghany County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.7M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $336K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $23K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.3M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $33K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $110K | once in about 46 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Alleghany County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Severe thunderstorm wind in VirginiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Virginia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Alleghany CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Alleghany County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis