Covington (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51580 · population 5,737 · 5 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 36 records for Covington (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 32 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (14 records). The most damaging was the June 23, 2016 flash flood ($3.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1972, 13 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
- 36on 32 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $4.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Covington (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 14 since 1983. Census land area gives no figure for Covington (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 14 | 14 | 1983-2023 | 0 | 0 | $678K | – |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | – |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 2024-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Winter storms | 4 | 4 | 2024-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 3 | 2 | 2011-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | $14K | – |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2018-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | $25K | – |
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 Covington (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 16, 2025 high wind ($7,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-15 | High WindAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2025-02-11 | Winter StormAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-06-23 | Flash FloodCovington (city) | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCovington (city) | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 2003-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindCovington (city) | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindCovington (city) | 75 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-23 | Flash FloodCovington (city) | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCovington (city) | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindAlleghany County and Covington (city) · forecast zone Alleghany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
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 Covington (city)'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 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Covington (city). The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 3 · Mar 0 · Apr 5 · May 3 · Jun 13 · Jul 3 · Aug 1 · Sep 5 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Covington (city)
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Covington (city): 8 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (3) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-10-01 | DR-4831 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-29 | EM-3621 | Tropical Storm | Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Covington (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for Covington (city) from 1997 to 2020, on 5 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Covington (city) ranks 928th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.9 million on 206 claims filed in Covington (city); the most in one year was 65 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 65 · 1987: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 60 · 1997: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 3 · 2006: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 59 · 2019: 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 Covington (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Covington (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $147K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $348K | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $42K | once in about 43 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $55K | once in about 1,220 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.8M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $98 | once in about 120 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $14K | 13 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 Covington (city)
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 Covington (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Covington (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis