Amherst County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51009 · population 31,300 · 474 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 502 records for Amherst County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 355 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (203 records). The deadliest single record is the December 17, 2016 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Amherst, which covers the county: 1 death, 5 injuries and $25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1969, 21 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
- 502on 355 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 413 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $11Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Amherst County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 203 since 1965. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1965 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 | 203 | 132 | 1965-2026 | 1 | 0 | $1.0M | 57 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 5 | $169K | 64 of 96 |
| Hail | 70 | 53 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $394 | 31 of 96 |
| Floods | 45 | 32 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | $1.5M | 69 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 39 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $678K | 29 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 19 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 25 of 96 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $543K | 24 of 96 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 2001-2015 | 0 | 1 | $429K | 30 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2017-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 84 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 3 | 1976-2018 | 0 | 7 | $5.1M | 81 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2003-2011 | 0 | 0 | $48K | 40 of 96 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 7 of 96 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 1 | 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.
How many tornadoes has Amherst County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Amherst County from 1976 to 2018, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 4 tornadoes whose track touched Amherst County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-15 17:00, as SPC files it | Lynchburg | EF3 | 20.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Amherst County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-15 | Dillard, Amherst County | EF3 10.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 7 | $5.1M |
| 2018-04-15 | Lowesville, Amherst County | EF0 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 1990-07-09 | Amherst County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1976-05-15 | Amherst County | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Amherst 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 WindRiverville, Amherst County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindSardis, Amherst County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindMadison Hgts, Amherst County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2026-05-27 | HailGalts Mill, Amherst County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter WeatherAlbemarle County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherAlbemarle County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormAlbemarle County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillAlbemarle County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillAlbemarle County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-12-17 | Winter WeatherAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst Light freezing rain fell during the early morning hours across Amherst County, VA. Resultant slick surfaces, and motorists driving too fast for conditions, lead to dozens accidents, one involving a fatality. Accidents continued after the precipitation ended as surface temperatures remained below freezing until the ... | 1 | 5 | $25K | |
| 2025-07-31 | HeatAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst A one-year-old boy, who would have turned two years old in two days, was left alone and restrained in the back seat of a car in Madison Heights of Amherst County while the foster dad of this child was at work for eight hours. Temperatures rose into the upper 80s by midday with the nearby Lynchburg ASOS reaching a high ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindMonroe, Amherst County Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree directly upon an enclosed trailer. A 34 year old male was loading a lawn mower into the trailer at the time the tree fell, unfortunately, killing him instantly. Damage values are estimated. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $16K |
| 2003-02-22 | FloodAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst Heavy rain over a long period of time caused small stream and urban flooding. A man who had been rescued once from the North Fork of the Roanoke River, returned to his truck with his father, and attempted to recover items from the truck. They remained trapped in the flood waters for several hours. The son died later ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoDillard, Amherst County This is the third and final segment of a tornado that touched down just south of Waterlink Road near Timberlake in Campbell County at 6:00 PM EST. The tornado crossed through the independent city of Lynchburg and eventually tracked over the James River into Amherst County at 6:08 PM EST. This was only the third EF3 ... | EF3 10.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 7 | $5.1M |
| 2001-08-11 | LightningAmherst County Thunderstorms produced damaging winds, damaging lightning, and hail up to ping pong ball size during the afternoon and evening of the 11th.Lightning struck a house in Roanoke starting a fire that caused significant damage. Lightning also struck a women in Amherst causing minor injuries.Thunderstorm winds downed trees ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoDillard, Amherst County | EF3 10.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 7 | $5.1M |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | $712K | |
| 2005-11-29 | Flash FloodCountywide, Amherst County | 0 | 0 | $491K | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Amherst County | 0 | 0 | $470K | |
| 1997-04-09 | Cold/Wind ChillAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | $368K | |
| 1997-04-10 | Cold/Wind ChillAmherst County · forecast zone Amherst | 0 | 0 | $368K | |
| 2006-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Amherst County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $73K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindMadison Hgts, Amherst County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $60K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 15, 1976 (tornado, Amherst County); July 9, 1990 (tornado, Amherst County).
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 Amherst 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 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 48 | 89 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 22 | 25 | 31 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 36 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 17 | 17 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 18 | 13 | 4 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1965 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 49 · Feb 51 · Mar 21 · Apr 34 · May 75 · Jun 76 · Jul 63 · Aug 59 · Sep 29 · Oct 6 · Nov 8 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Amherst County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Amherst County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) 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 |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1135 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1992-05-19 | DR-944 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1976-10-15 | EM-3018 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-10-10 | DR-359 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Amherst County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 45 flood or flash flood records for Amherst County from 1996 to 2024, on 32 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Amherst County ranks 1637th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $756,000 on 53 claims filed in Amherst County; the most in one year was 12 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 4 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 6 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 12 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2018: 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 Amherst County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Amherst County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 Moderate | $578K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $353K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $3K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $209K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $47K | 6.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $30K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $29K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Amherst County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in VirginiaEvery Virginia tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- 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 Amherst CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Amherst County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis