Fairfax (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51600 · population 24,146 · 6 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 80 records for Fairfax (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 73 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (26 records). The deadliest single record is the September 8, 2011 flash flood: 1 death. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1972, 15 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
- 80on 73 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $3.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Fairfax (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 26 since 1984. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1984 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Fairfax (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 | 26 | 25 | 1984-2025 | 1 | 0 | $139K | – |
| Winter storms | 14 | 13 | 2024-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Floods | 11 | 9 | 1999-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 10 | 9 | 1991-2011 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | – |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2000-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 4 | 3 | 1998-2003 | 0 | 0 | $109K | – |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | – |
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 Fairfax (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 1, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | FloodFairfax (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindIlda, Fairfax (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindFairfax (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindFairfax County and Fairfax (city) · forecast zone Fairfax | 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-09-08 | Flash FloodFairfax (city) Flash flooding on Piney Branch Creek near Marcliff Court swept away and drowned a 12 year old male. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1984-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindFairfax (city) | 1 | 0 | – |
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 Fairfax (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 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1984 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 8 · Feb 7 · Mar 7 · Apr 2 · May 10 · Jun 12 · Jul 13 · Aug 7 · Sep 10 · Oct 0 · Nov 1 · Dec 3 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fairfax (city)
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Fairfax (city): 11 major disasters, 6 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Fairfax (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 11 flood or flash flood records for Fairfax (city) from 1999 to 2026, on 9 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fairfax (city) ranks 1637th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee | 2011-09-08 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $940,000 on 53 claims filed in Fairfax (city); the most in one year was 18 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1980: 2 · 1985: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2006: 7 · 2008: 5 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 18 · 2012: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 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 Fairfax (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fairfax (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $385K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $383K | 5.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $211K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $397K | 8.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $39K | 9.8 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $372K | once in about 971 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $359K | once in about 214 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $93K | 4 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 Fairfax (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 Fairfax (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fairfax (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis