Arlington County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51013 · population 238,619 · 26 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 620 records for Arlington County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 512 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (179 records). 364 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the July 22, 2003 flash flood: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1972, 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
- 620on 512 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 378 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $35Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Arlington County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 179 since 1980. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Arlington County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 179 | 117 | 1980-2026 | 0 | 3 | $12M | – |
| Winter storms | 142 | 140 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $749K | – |
| Floods | 72 | 58 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $5.7M | – |
| Heat | 66 | 66 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 39 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $6.1M | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 34 | 33 | 2006-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 33 | 33 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 18 | 14 | 1973-2024 | 0 | 0 | $995 | – |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 11 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 7 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 26 | $8.4M | – |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1997-2011 | 0 | 4 | $23K | – |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 2 | $2.4M | – |
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 Arlington County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Arlington County from 1997 to 2021, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 2 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 Arlington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Arlington County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-01 | Barcroft, Arlington County | EF1 2.86 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2017-04-06 | South Washington, Arlington County | EF0 1.93 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-09-24 | Arlington County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.7M |
| 1997-05-25 | Shirlington, Arlington County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $184K |
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 Arlington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 9, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Washington, Arlington County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Washington, Arlington County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Washington, Arlington County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindArlington County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-22 | Flash FloodArlington County A 22-year-old man died after being washed away by Fourmile Run flood waters. Another man was washed downstream but survived. Several roads were flooded. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-06-08 | Excessive HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington Alexandria Emergency Management and local newspapers reported that one person died from heat-related complications in Alexandria. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-12-14 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington An area of low pressure developed over the Gulf Coast region and tracked northeast into the Mid Atlantic region. The storm produced a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Snowfall totals across Northeast Virginia averaged 3 to 4 inches. Some light ice accumulations were also reported. One death was reported in ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Coast. Its huge wind field was already piling water up into the southern Chesapeake Bay. By the time Isabel moved into central Virginia, it had weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Isabel's eye tracked well west of the bay, but the ... | 0 | 26 | $7.2M | |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church High pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast from the 4th through the 7th, acting like a heat pump drawing extremely warm and humid air into Northern Virginia. Temperatures on the 4th through early on the 7th were oppressively hot, and extremely humid conditions added to the misery. These conditions continued until a ... | 0 | 21 | – | |
| 1997-08-16 | HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar over the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Maximum temperatures surpassed the century mark across most of northern Virginia (except in the higher elevations) both days. Heat index values ranged from 105 to 110 each day, but aside ... | 0 | 18 | – | |
| 2021-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindRosslyn, Arlington County Several trees and large branches blew down in the Westmont, Arlington Village, and Penrose section of Arlington. A tree blew down on VA-244 Columbia Pike near South Adams Street, causing a vehicle accident that injured two people. A tree blew down on Washington Boulevard near US-50 Arlington Boulevard. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $11K |
| 2011-08-19 | LightningRosslyn, Arlington County Two people were struck by lightning at the intersection of Key Boulevard and Franklin Road. | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindRosslyn, Arlington County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9.7M |
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church | 0 | 26 | $7.2M | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.8M |
| 2006-06-25 | Flash FloodArlington County | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 2001-09-24 | TornadoArlington County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.7M |
| 1996-09-06 | Storm Surge/TideAlong Potomac River, Arlington County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2000-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Arlington County | 0 | 0 | $857K | |
| 2003-02-14 | Winter StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | $642K |
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 Arlington 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 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 38 | 61 | 50 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 39 | 66 | 23 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 29 | 24 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 19 | 30 | 9 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 20 | 10 | 3 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 18 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 87 · Feb 67 · Mar 43 · Apr 30 · May 42 · Jun 69 · Jul 116 · Aug 48 · Sep 41 · Oct 20 · Nov 16 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Arlington County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Arlington County: 14 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and snowstorm (5).
| 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 |
| 2016-03-07 | DR-4262 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-11-26 | DR-4092 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-27 | DR-4072 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-04-27 | DR-1905 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 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 |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1458 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,Floodind, and Mudslide |
| 2001-09-21 | DR-1392 | Terrorist | Fires and Explosions |
| 2001-09-12 | EM-3168 | Fire | Fires and Explosions |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-01-26 | DR-525 | Freezing | Ice Conditions |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
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 Arlington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Arlington County from 1996 to 2025, on 58 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Arlington County ranks 899th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.9 million on 215 claims filed in Arlington County; the most in one year was 47 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 11 · 1979: 5 · 1980: 4 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 3 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 3 · 1996: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 9 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 35 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 17 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2018: 17 · 2019: 47 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 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 Arlington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Arlington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $37.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.2M | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.4M | 6.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $381K | 9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 8.2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $23M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $3.0M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 1,066 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $639K | 3.9 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 Arlington 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 Arlington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Arlington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis