Botetourt County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51023 · population 33,548 · 541 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 481 records for Botetourt County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 359 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (166 records). The deadliest single record is the December 26, 2012 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Botetourt, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1969, 22 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
- 481on 359 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 317 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Botetourt County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 166 since 1958. 60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 | 166 | 119 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 16 | $1.4M | 75 of 96 |
| Hail | 79 | 64 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $72K | 26 of 96 |
| Floods | 77 | 48 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $6.5M | 56 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 74 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 1 | $82K | 85 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 46 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $635K | 27 of 96 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $579K | 39 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 10 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | 33 of 96 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 2003-2023 | 0 | 0 | $578K | 37 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 3 | 2013-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 90 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1955-2020 | 0 | 0 | $38K | 85 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 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 Botetourt County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Botetourt County from 1955 to 2020, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Botetourt County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Botetourt County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-01 | Trinity, Botetourt County | EF0 1.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2011-04-28 | Lick Run, Botetourt County | EF0 1.62 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 1955-06-11 | Botetourt County | F1 | 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 Botetourt County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 27, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindBuchanan, Botetourt County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindGala, Botetourt County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | DroughtBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-04 | Winter StormBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-31 | Flash FloodGala, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindBuchanan, Botetourt County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindNace, Botetourt County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-12-26 | Winter WeatherBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt Virginia State Police reported that a 35-year old Covington, Virginia woman was killed on U.S. Highway 220 near Eagle Rock when her vehicle slid across an ice covered bridge near Patterson Mill Road and was hit by an oncoming car. The person in the oncoming car was injured, but the injuries were not fatal. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-01-22 | Winter StormBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt Snowfall amounts between 12 and 14 inches were observed across several locations throughout the county. The highest accumulation report was recieved out of the Fincastle area, where 13.0 inches of snow was measured. A brief period of sleet was also reported during this storm. 69 year old man died from a heart attack ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-07-03 | FloodSpringwood, Botetourt County A Botetourt County man was drowned while attempting to clear a blocked culvert near his home near Buchanan. The man fell into the stream around 4:45 AM and was caught in the current. A Flood Warning was in effect for the entire county at the time. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindGlen Wilton, Botetourt County Thunderstorm winds blew thousands trees down countywide. Power lines also came down as a result of the strong winds and trees falling upon them. Less than twenty structures sustained damage where their roofs blew off. In the community of Blue Ridge, trees fell upon and damaged several mobile homes. Flying debris ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 13 | $771K |
| 2006-04-07 | Thunderstorm WindBuchanan, Botetourt County A line of severe thunderstorms progressed acrossed the area the evening of the 7th in association with a cold front. Numerous reports of both damaging winds around 60 to 75 mph downing trees and/or power lines and large hail were common with these storms as they moved through the region. Additional severe storms ... | 60 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $29K |
| 1995-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindS Buchanan, Botetourt County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1989-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindBotetourt County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-09 | Frost/FreezeBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 1998-10-01 | DroughtBotetourt County · forecast zone Botetourt | 0 | 0 | $543K | |
| 2025-06-16 | Flash FloodFincastle, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2003-08-05 | LightningNace, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | $401K | |
| 2018-09-17 | Flash FloodWebster, Botetourt County | 0 | 0 | $271K |
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: June 11, 1955 (tornado, Botetourt 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 Botetourt 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 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 33 | 65 | 43 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 40 | 17 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 21 | 26 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 23 | 27 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 20 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 49 · Mar 18 · Apr 35 · May 63 · Jun 75 · Jul 85 · Aug 36 · Sep 36 · Oct 9 · Nov 7 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Botetourt County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Botetourt County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-04 | DR-4863 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2024-10-01 | DR-4831 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4512 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3448 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-15 | DR-4401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 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 |
| 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 Botetourt County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 77 flood or flash flood records for Botetourt County from 1996 to 2025, on 48 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Botetourt County ranks 853rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.7 million on 239 claims filed in Botetourt County; the most in one year was 48 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 8 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 48 · 1987: 13 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 22 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 12 · 1996: 46 · 1998: 2 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 14 · 2004: 26 · 2006: 8 · 2009: 2 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 6; 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 Botetourt County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Botetourt County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $50K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.0M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $217K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $553K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $54K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $550K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $3K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $175K | once in about 33 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Botetourt 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 Botetourt CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Botetourt County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis