Franklin County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51067 · population 54,455 · 691 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 921 records for Franklin County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 501 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (410 records). The deadliest single record is the June 29, 2012 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $964,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1972, 20 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
- 921on 501 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 113 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $30Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Franklin County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 410 since 1974. 56% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 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 | 410 | 230 | 1974-2026 | 1 | 1 | $5.4M | 39 of 96 |
| Hail | 194 | 114 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $390K | 13 of 96 |
| Floods | 128 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 49 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 62 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $373K | 94 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 56 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $964K | 30 of 96 |
| Lightning | 21 | 18 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 3 | $996K | 13 of 96 |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 35 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 10 | 2017-2020 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 75 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 6 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $656K | 71 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1978-2019 | 0 | 0 | $773K | 78 of 96 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 9 | – | 70 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2003-2020 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 61 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 Franklin County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Franklin County from 1978 to 2019, the strongest rated EF3, 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Franklin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-19 08:25, as SPC files it | Rocky Mount | EF3 | 8.11 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Franklin County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-19 | Snydersville, Franklin County | EF3 8.11 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 2008-05-08 | Sydnorsville, Franklin County | EF1 0.54 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2004-09-17 | Henry, Franklin County | F0 1.7 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-09 | Burnt Chimney, Franklin County | F2 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-08-09 | Franklin County | 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 Franklin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindGlade Hill, Franklin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindGlade Hill, Franklin County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindRedwood, Franklin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindHenry Fork, Franklin County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBarfoot, Franklin County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBoones Mill, Franklin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-12 | Strong WindFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindNaff, Franklin County Thunderstorm winds blew numerous trees down across the county. A mobile home suffered major damage as a fallen tree split the structure in half. Several other homes across the northern part of the county suffered minor to moderate damage from fallen trees in the Boones Mill to Burnt Chimney and Smith Mountain Lake ... | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $964K |
| 2012-06-29 | HeatFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin Six reports of heat related maladies where persons were taken to the hospital. | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 2012-06-29 | HeatFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin Three heat related medical emergencies with persons taken to the hospital. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2022-08-10 | LightningHenry Fork, Franklin County Lightning struck a house on Double Branch Road. A female occupant inside the home was injured and transported to the hospital. Damage values are estimated. | 0 | 1 | $5K | |
| 2022-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindWirtz, Franklin County One tree was downed by thunderstorm winds on Lakewood Court and it struck and injured one person. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $504 |
| 2022-06-16 | LightningSnydersville, Franklin County A person was struck by lightning on McNeil Mills Road. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1997-06-02 | LightningRocky Mt, Franklin County A lightning strike slightly injured a person in a parking lot in Rocky Mount. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-21 | FloodHardys Ford, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2000-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Mt, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1996-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2019-04-19 | TornadoSnydersville, Franklin County | EF3 8.11 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 2007-04-09 | Frost/FreezeFranklin County · forecast zone Franklin | 0 | 0 | $633K | |
| 1997-06-25 | LightningUnion Hall, Franklin County | 0 | 0 | $460K | |
| 2010-09-22 | Thunderstorm WindBurnt Chimney, Franklin County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $338K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 9, 1978 (tornado, Franklin 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 Franklin 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 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 106 | 189 | 78 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 73 | 59 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 25 | 63 | 30 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 19 | 21 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 22 | 21 | 10 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 10 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
56% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 44 · Mar 40 · Apr 57 · May 143 · Jun 216 · Jul 144 · Aug 107 · Sep 72 · Oct 19 · Nov 13 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Franklin County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Franklin County: 14 major disasters, 8 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 |
| 2025-04-04 | DR-4863 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2021-05-10 | DR-4602 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4512 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3448 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-12-18 | DR-4411 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2018-10-15 | DR-4401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1135 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1992-05-19 | DR-944 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1976-10-15 | EM-3018 | 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 Franklin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 128 flood or flash flood records for Franklin County from 1996 to 2025, on 69 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Franklin County ranks 1710th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $647,000 on 45 claims filed in Franklin County; the most in one year was 6 in 1992. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1985: 4 · 1987: 4 · 1988: 1 · 1992: 6 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 3 · 1999: 2 · 2004: 3 · 2006: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 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 Franklin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.0 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 | $862K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $362K | 7.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $252K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $12K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $445K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.9M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $63K | 8.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $38K | 1.2 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 Franklin 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 Franklin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Franklin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis