Falls Church (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51610 · population 14,658 · 2 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 417 records for Falls Church (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 392 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (142 records). 364 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the June 8, 2008 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Arlington, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1972, 14 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
- 417on 392 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 368 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $24Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Falls Church (city) most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 142 since 1996. 74% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. Census land area gives no figure for Falls Church (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 142 | 140 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $749K | – |
| Heat | 66 | 66 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 39 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $6.1M | – |
| Floods | 38 | 32 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 34 | 33 | 2006-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 33 | 33 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 26 | 22 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $709K | – |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 13 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 8 | 7 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3K | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 6 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 26 | $7.5M | – |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2000 | 1 | 0 | $3K | – |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1983-1983 | 0 | 0 | $7.4M | – |
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 Falls Church (city) had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Falls Church (city) from 1983 to 1983, the strongest rated F2, 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 1 tornado whose track touched Falls Church (city) since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Falls Church (city) (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-10-13 | Falls Church (city) | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Falls Church (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 2, 2018 high wind (1 injury).
A wind gust of 62 mph was reported at Reagan National Airport. A tree was down on the George Washington Memorial Parkway near the VA-123 Chain Bridge Road. A tree was blocking the northbound Spout Run Parkway near the George Washington Memorial Parkway. A minor injury occurred when a tree fell onto a house in Falls Church.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 746508)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | Excessive HeatArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-11 | Winter StormArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-08 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-06-08 | Excessive HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington Alexandria Emergency Management and local newspapers reported that one person died from heat-related complications in Alexandria. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-12-14 | Winter WeatherArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington An area of low pressure developed over the Gulf Coast region and tracked northeast into the Mid Atlantic region. The storm produced a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Snowfall totals across Northeast Virginia averaged 3 to 4 inches. Some light ice accumulations were also reported. One death was reported in ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-08-07 | LightningFalls Church (city) A 33 year old man was killed by lightning while standing near a tree at the West Falls Church Metro station. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Coast. Its huge wind field was already piling water up into the southern Chesapeake Bay. By the time Isabel moved into central Virginia, it had weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Isabel's eye tracked well west of the bay, but the ... | 0 | 26 | $7.2M | |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church High pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast from the 4th through the 7th, acting like a heat pump drawing extremely warm and humid air into Northern Virginia. Temperatures on the 4th through early on the 7th were oppressively hot, and extremely humid conditions added to the misery. These conditions continued until a ... | 0 | 21 | – | |
| 1997-08-16 | HeatArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar over the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Maximum temperatures surpassed the century mark across most of northern Virginia (except in the higher elevations) both days. Heat index values ranged from 105 to 110 each day, but aside ... | 0 | 18 | – | |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindArlington County and 2 more · forecast zone Arlington A wind gust of 62 mph was reported at Reagan National Airport. A tree was down on the George Washington Memorial Parkway near the VA-123 Chain Bridge Road. A tree was blocking the northbound Spout Run Parkway near the George Washington Memorial Parkway. A minor injury occurred when a tree fell onto a house in Falls ... | 54 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2000-01-13 | High WindArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington 64 MPH gust in Falls Church; construction worker seriously injured by fallen brick wall. | 56 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church | 0 | 26 | $7.2M | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.8M |
| 2003-02-14 | Winter StormArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 0 | $642K | |
| 2000-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindFalls Church (city) | 0 | 0 | $514K | |
| 1997-03-31 | Strong WindArlington County and 3 more · forecast zone Arlington | 0 | 1 | $184K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 13, 1983 (tornado, Falls Church (city)).
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 Falls Church (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 39 | 66 | 23 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 19 | 30 | 9 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 20 | 10 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 7 | 20 | 8 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 18 | 7 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 13 | 14 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
74% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 85 · Feb 65 · Mar 36 · Apr 18 · May 17 · Jun 23 · Jul 49 · Aug 29 · Sep 25 · Oct 18 · Nov 11 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Falls Church (city)
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Falls Church (city): 10 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 |
| 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 Falls Church (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 38 flood or flash flood records for Falls Church (city) from 1996 to 2024, on 32 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Falls Church (city) ranks 1456th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $472,000 on 74 claims filed in Falls Church (city); the most in one year was 22 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1996: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 3 · 2006: 4 · 2008: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 21 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2019: 22 · 2020: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 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 Falls Church (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Falls Church (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.1 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 Low | $493K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $280K | 8.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $201K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $273K | 6.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $142K | once in about 1,080 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $24K | 9.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $201K | once in about 657 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $10K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Falls Church (city)
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
- Winter storms in VirginiaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Falls Church (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Falls Church (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis