Fauquier County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51061 · population 72,947 · 648 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,558 records for Fauquier County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 855 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (510 records). The deadliest single record is the February 5, 2004 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Stafford, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1972, 19 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
- 1,558on 855 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 431 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $64Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Fauquier County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 510 since 1960. 49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 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 | 510 | 264 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 15 | $5.3M | 22 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 293 | 192 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 2 | $176K | 33 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 181 | 125 | 2000-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 96 |
| Floods | 166 | 94 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 33 of 96 |
| Heat | 104 | 63 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 9 | – | 14 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 102 | 57 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $368K | 21 of 96 |
| Hail | 87 | 62 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.5M | 43 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 35 | 23 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | 52 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 18 | 1953-2017 | 0 | 4 | $9.1M | 33 of 96 |
| Drought | 24 | 14 | 1997-2007 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 45 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 17 | 1997-2006 | 0 | 0 | $37K | 56 of 96 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 1996-2004 | 2 | 0 | $110K | 38 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 1999-2011 | 0 | 1 | $23M | 32 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 Fauquier County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Fauquier County from 1953 to 2017, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd of 96 Virginia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Fauquier County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-09-24 13:03, as SPC files it | Warrenton | F4 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 2004-09-17 14:02, as SPC files it | Remington | F3 | 9 mi | 0 |
| 1973-04-01 14:45, as SPC files it | Fairfax | F3 | 9.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Fauquier County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-08-11 | Broad Run, Fauquier County | EF0 1.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-06 | New Baltimore, Fauquier County | EF0 0.86 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-06 | Bethel, Fauquier County | EF0 0.86 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-06 | Turnbull, Fauquier County | EF0 0.86 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-10-13 | Midland Warrenton Ar, Fauquier County | EF0 6.02 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-03-10 | Bealeton, Fauquier County | EF1 4.41 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2008-06-04 | Delaplane, Fauquier County | EF0 4.01 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2008-06-04 | Sumerduck, Fauquier County | EF1 6.08 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2005-08-30 | Ada, Fauquier County | F1 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2005-08-30 | Orlean, Fauquier County | F0 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2004-09-17 | Warrenton, Fauquier County | F2 13 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2004-09-17 | Opal, Fauquier County | F2 8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2004-09-17 | Remington, Fauquier County | F3 9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $391K |
| 2004-09-08 | Delaplane, Fauquier County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2004-09-08 | Warrenton, Fauquier County | F1 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2004-09-08 | Bealeton, Fauquier County | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2003-05-07 | Warrenton, Fauquier County | F1 5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2001-09-24 | The Plains, Fauquier County | F1 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $300K |
| 2001-09-24 | Turnbull, Fauquier County | F1 3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1993-09-27 | Warrenton, Fauquier County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| 1993-04-16 | Fauquier County | F1 1.2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1993-04-16 | Fauquier County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1990-10-18 | Fauquier County | F1 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-07-12 | Fauquier County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-10-13 | Fauquier County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-04-01 | Fauquier County | F3 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-09-07 | Fauquier County | F1 3.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-05-17 | Fauquier County | F1 5.9 mi x 33 yd | 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 Fauquier County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindHalfway, Fauquier County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindBethel, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindOrlean, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWarrenton, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindWarrenton, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindBethel, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindUpperville, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindLinden, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindDelaplane, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindDudie, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindDudie, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindAda, Fauquier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-02-05 | Winter WeatherFauquier County · forecast zone Stafford An area of low pressure produced freezing rain and sleet in Northern Virginia as it tracked northeast. One to two tenths inch of ice accumulated. This ice coated surfaces, downed power lines. and felled trees. As a result, there were school closures/delays, automobile accidents, and scattered power outages. In ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-08-30 | LightningRemington, Fauquier County Two farmhands in a three-sided metal calf feeding pen were killed by lightning. | 2 | 0 | $2K | |
| 1995-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindThe Plains, Fauquier County The second severe thunderstorm of the afternoon ripped through The Plains, where the Virginia Winefest was being held. Thunderstorm winds, estimated at over 60 mph, blew down dozens of tents and temporary buildings. Flying debris from the structures caused 15 injuries to festival-goers; most injuries were minor head ... | 0 | 15 | $484K | |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatFauquier County · forecast zone Fauquier 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 | 9 | – | |
| 2004-09-17 | TornadoRemington, Fauquier County A strong tornado touched down in southern Fauquier County, near Remington. A home was pushed off its foundation. A new pickup truck was lifted and hurled 75 yards over trees and power lines. It crashedupside down in a field. | F3 9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $391K |
| 1993-09-27 | TornadoWarrenton, Fauquier County Thunderstorms moved through norther Virginia downing trees near Tanners and Madison in Madison County and across northern Culpeper County. A tornado touched down near New Baltimore, or about 2.5 miles east of Warrenton in Faquier County, and moved east into Prince William County to about 2 miles southwest of Manassas. ... | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormFauquier County · forecast zone Stafford 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 | 1 | $23M | |
| 1996-01-12 | Heavy SnowFauquier County · forecast zone Stafford Less than one week after the crippling "Blizzard of '96", a new winter storm dumped substantial snow across northern and western Virginia. The snow changed to freezing rain and sleet along the tidal Potomac River shortly before tapering off. The changeover suppressed accumulations to 4 or 5 inches in this region. In ... | 0 | 1 | $19K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormFauquier County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 1 | $23M | |
| 1999-07-01 | DroughtFauquier County · forecast zone Fauquier | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2003-09-18 | High WindFauquier County · forecast zone Fauquier | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2005-08-30 | TornadoAda, Fauquier County | F1 5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodFauquier County · forecast zone Fauquier | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1999-08-01 | DroughtFauquier County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2000-05-13 | HailWarrenton, Fauquier County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 2004-09-17 | TornadoWarrenton, Fauquier County | F2 13 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 18, 1990 (tornado, Fauquier 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 Fauquier 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 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 54 | 99 | 188 | 157 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 30 | 80 | 123 | 60 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 43 | 97 | 41 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 34 | 74 | 41 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 16 | 35 | 40 | 13 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 33 | 46 | 20 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 166 · Feb 130 · Mar 96 · Apr 97 · May 135 · Jun 196 · Jul 231 · Aug 208 · Sep 88 · Oct 58 · Nov 34 · Dec 119 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fauquier County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Fauquier County: 14 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 |
| 2022-03-11 | DR-4644 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-06 | 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) |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Fauquier County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 166 flood or flash flood records for Fauquier County from 1996 to 2025, on 94 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fauquier County ranks 1865th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $175,000 on 33 claims filed in Fauquier County; the most in one year was 3 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 3 · 1981: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 1 · 2004: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 2 · 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 Fauquier County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fauquier County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.2 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 Moderate | $999K | 40 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $16M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $965K | 4.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $710K | once in about 641 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $372K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $91K | 10 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 Fauquier 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 Fauquier CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fauquier County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis