Bath County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51017 · population 4,209 · 529 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 328 records for Bath County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 267 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (86 records). The deadliest single record is the September 14, 2019 lightning: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1969, 20 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
- 328on 267 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $18Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Bath County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 86 since 1971. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 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 | 86 | 61 | 1971-2025 | 0 | 0 | $722K | 94 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 85 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $51K | 75 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 48 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $454K | 24 of 96 |
| Floods | 39 | 30 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 77 of 96 |
| Hail | 32 | 27 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 83 of 96 |
| Drought | 15 | 15 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $362K | 33 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 11 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 30 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 4 | 2018-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 86 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 71 of 96 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 14 of 96 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 1 | 1 | – | 76 of 96 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 17 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 Bath County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 30, 2025 high wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-30 | High WindBath County · forecast zone Bath | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindNimrod Hall, Bath County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindBath Alum, Bath County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindMitchelltown, Bath County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindAshwood, Bath County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-04-14 | HailIngalls Field Hot, Bath County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-14 | LightningThomastown, Bath County A 12-year old male went outside to play in a wooden area after rain had stopped falling, and a thunderstorm had moved out of the area. Lightning struck the child. First responders determined that the child did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Air support for medical transport was requested, but was not ... | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Bath County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2012-04-09 | WildfireBath County · forecast zone Bath | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMountain Grove, Bath County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2011-04-12 | Flash FloodFt Lewis, Bath County | 0 | 0 | $262K | |
| 2011-04-16 | Flash FloodMitchelltown, Bath County | 0 | 0 | $262K | |
| 2006-04-07 | Thunderstorm WindHot Spgs, Bath County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2025-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindIngalls Field Hot, Bath County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindNimrod Hall, Bath County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
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 Bath 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 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 32 | 21 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 28 | 28 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 12 | 19 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 34 · Feb 59 · Mar 26 · Apr 36 · May 19 · Jun 44 · Jul 22 · Aug 23 · Sep 17 · Oct 10 · Nov 7 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bath County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Bath County: 15 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (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 |
| 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 |
| 2001-07-12 | DR-1386 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 Bath County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 39 flood or flash flood records for Bath County from 1996 to 2021, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bath County ranks 2181st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $144,000 on 16 claims filed in Bath County; the most in one year was 9 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1992: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 9 · 2000: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 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 Bath County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bath County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.9 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 Moderate | $540K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $24K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $53K | once in about 38 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $269K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 2.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $29K | once in about 1,236 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $7K | once in about 924 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bath 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 Bath CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bath County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis