Harrisonburg (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51660 · population 51,814 · 17 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 88 records for Harrisonburg (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 75 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (30 records). The most damaging was the May 30, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($250,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1972, 12 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
- 88on 75 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $777Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 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 Harrisonburg (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 30 since 1980. 60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in May and June. Census land area gives no figure for Harrisonburg (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 | 30 | 26 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $748K | – |
| Floods | 22 | 18 | 1999-2021 | 0 | 1 | $18K | – |
| Winter storms | 18 | 18 | 2024-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 6 | 5 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2000-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $11K | – |
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 Harrisonburg (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 11, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-14 | Cold/Wind ChillRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter WeatherRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-02 | Winter WeatherRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-16 | High WindRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindHarrisonburg (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindHarrisonburg (city) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-05 | Flash FloodHarrisonburg (city) Flooded roads, collapsed roof | 0 | 1 | $18K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindHarrisonburg (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 1999-09-05 | Flash FloodHarrisonburg (city) | 0 | 1 | $18K | |
| 2025-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindHarrisonburg (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 Harrisonburg (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 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 18 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 10 · Feb 9 · Mar 6 · Apr 0 · May 10 · Jun 20 · Jul 12 · Aug 10 · Sep 3 · Oct 0 · Nov 2 · Dec 6 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Harrisonburg (city)
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Harrisonburg (city): 8 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 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) |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Harrisonburg (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 22 flood or flash flood records for Harrisonburg (city) from 1999 to 2021, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Harrisonburg (city) ranks 1624th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $762,000 on 55 claims filed in Harrisonburg (city); the most in one year was 15 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1980: 2 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 3 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1996: 15 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 4; 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 Harrisonburg (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harrisonburg (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.0 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 | $775K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $318K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $639K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $621K | once in about 938 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $55K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.7M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $249K | 2.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $163K | 2.3 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 Harrisonburg (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 Harrisonburg (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Harrisonburg (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis