Galax (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51640 · population 6,720 · 8 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 95 records for Galax (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 76 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (25 records). The most damaging was the September 8, 2018 flash flood ($2.4 million in 2025 dollars). 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
- 95on 76 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $5.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- 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 Galax (city) most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 25 since 2009. 40% of its floods and flash floods since 2009 fell in July and August. Census land area gives no figure for Galax (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 25 | 22 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | – |
| Hail | 24 | 17 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 15 | 15 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $54K | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 12 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | – |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2013-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Winter storms | 6 | 6 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 2026-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | $2K | – |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | $26K | – |
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 Galax (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindGalax (city) | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-01 | Heavy RainGalax (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-01 | Flash FloodGalax (city) | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindGalax (city) | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-08 | Flash FloodGalax (city) | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2024-09-27 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2018-10-11 | Flash FloodGalax (city) | 0 | 0 | $535K | |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2025-03-05 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindCarroll County and Galax (city) · forecast zone Carroll | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 Galax (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 20 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 3 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its floods and flash floods since 2009 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 8 · Feb 4 · Mar 9 · Apr 11 · May 7 · Jun 17 · Jul 9 · Aug 9 · Sep 7 · Oct 7 · Nov 2 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Galax (city)
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Galax (city): 9 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (4) and snowstorm (4).
| 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 |
| 2018-12-18 | DR-4411 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2018-09-11 | EM-3403 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2006-07-13 | DR-1655 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-12-09 | DR-1502 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 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 Galax (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Galax (city) from 2009 to 2025, on 22 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Galax (city) ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3,227 on 2 claims filed in Galax (city); the most in one year was 2 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2; 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 Galax (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Galax (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $25K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $127K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $39K | once in about 39 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $437 | once in about 48 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $80K | once in about 733 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $7K | once in about 1,247 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $90K | once in about 607 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Galax (city)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Floods in VirginiaThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Galax (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Galax (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis