Buchanan County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51027 · population 20,340 · 503 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 366 records for Buchanan County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 307 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (102 records). The deadliest single record is the November 19, 2003 flood, filed for the forecast zone Buchanan, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $802,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1977, 25 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
- 366on 307 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 72 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $67Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Buchanan County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 102 since 1974. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in May and June. 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 | 73 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 1 | $732K | 91 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 85 | 84 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | 69 of 96 |
| Floods | 65 | 58 | 1996-2025 | 7 | 1 | $63M | 42 of 96 |
| Hail | 35 | 26 | 1977-2025 | 0 | 0 | $83K | 81 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $107K | 24 of 96 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 96 |
| Heat | 15 | 15 | 1997-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 13 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 59 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 1998-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 96 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 73 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 Buchanan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindJewell Vly, Buchanan County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindVansant, Buchanan County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRowe, Buchanan County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindThomas, Buchanan County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Cold/Wind ChillBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-11-19 | FloodBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan Rains of 2 to 2.8 inches fell in a 12 to 18 hour period from late on the 18th into the afternoon of the 19th. Breaks Interstate Park measured 2.8 inches, Grundy had 2.4 inches, and Clintwood observed 2.2 inches. A tragedy struck, near the Dickenson and Buchanan County line in the Russell Fork drainage, well after the ... | 2 | 0 | $802K | |
| 2002-05-02 | Flash FloodNorth Portion, Buchanan County Repetitive showers and thunderstorms moved rapidly across northern Buchanan County from west to east from the late morning to the early evening. Hail fell from the thunderstorms in both Buchanan and Dickenson Counties, but the main problem was the severe flash flooding in the narrow valleys of northern Buchanan ... | 2 | 0 | $41M | |
| 2021-08-30 | Flash FloodKelsa, Buchanan County Guesses Creek rose out of its banks and led to significant damage of twenty homes around the town of Hurley. | 1 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2015-03-04 | FloodDavenport, Buchanan County Small streams started to flood by evening on the 4th. Guess Fork flooded roads around Hurley. Around 2245E on the 4th, a 61 year old man drove his car into flood waters near the mouth of Hurricane Creek with the Russell Fork. This was along Route 80. His car was washed into the water. His body was recovered the next ... | 1 | 0 | $62K | |
| 2000-07-13 | Flash FloodHurley, Buchanan County Rains of around 2 inches fell in less than 3 hours during the late morning and midday period, over saturated ground. An automatic gauge near Home Creek had recorded 6 inches of rain from the 10th to the 13th. Small streams flooded. A 28 year old female drowned in the Left Fork of Lester Fork. According to the ... | 1 | 0 | $129K | |
| 2022-07-12 | Flash FloodSlate, Buchanan County Significant damage occurred within the northern portions of Buchanan County. Between 100 to 125 structures observed structural damage with over 2,000 power outages within the communities. For 24 hours after the event, 40 stranded residents were unaccounted for due to loss of cell service and obstructed roadways due to ... | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | |
| 2021-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindGrundy, Buchanan County One person sustained injuries near Grundy due to a downed tree. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-05-02 | Flash FloodNorth Portion, Buchanan County | 2 | 0 | $41M | |
| 2025-02-15 | Flash FloodKelsa, Buchanan County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2021-08-30 | Flash FloodKelsa, Buchanan County | 1 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2022-07-12 | Flash FloodSlate, Buchanan County | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | |
| 2000-08-08 | Flash FloodCountywide, Buchanan County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2003-02-15 | FloodBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2009-12-18 | Heavy SnowBuchanan County · forecast zone Buchanan | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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 Buchanan 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 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 34 | 33 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 14 | 31 | 25 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 19 | 13 | 26 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 4 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 11 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
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 1974 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 49 · Mar 32 · Apr 26 · May 50 · Jun 36 · Jul 42 · Aug 25 · Sep 8 · Oct 12 · Nov 15 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Buchanan County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Buchanan County: 19 major disasters, 7 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (8) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 2024-09-29 | EM-3621 | Tropical Storm | Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene |
| 2022-09-30 | DR-4674 | Severe Storm | Flooding and Mudslides |
| 2021-10-26 | DR-4628 | Flood | Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-15 | DR-1525 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2003-12-09 | DR-1502 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1458 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,Floodind, and Mudslide |
| 2002-05-05 | DR-1411 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2001-11-16 | FM-2390 | Fire | Va - Far Southwest Fire Complex - 11/16/2001 |
| 2001-07-12 | DR-1386 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 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 |
| 1989-11-08 | DR-847 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding |
| 1984-05-23 | DR-707 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-07-20 | DR-593 | Flood | Storms & Flash Floods |
| 1977-11-12 | DR-543 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-04-07 | DR-530 | Flood | 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 Buchanan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 65 flood or flash flood records for Buchanan County from 1996 to 2025, on 58 days, with 7 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Buchanan County ranks 658th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.6 million on 360 claims filed in Buchanan County; the most in one year was 136 in 1984. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 27 · 1979: 34 · 1981: 6 · 1982: 9 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 136 · 1987: 9 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 3 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 7 · 2002: 22 · 2003: 28 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 14 · 2025: 23 · 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 Buchanan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Buchanan County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.7 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 Moderate | $112K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $8K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $133K | once in about 133 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.5M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $174K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $17K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $56K | 49 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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Buchanan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis