King William County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51101 · population 17,810 · 274 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 325 records for King William County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 257 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (120 records). The deadliest single record is the October 18, 1990 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1969, 22 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
- 325on 257 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $20Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 King William County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 120 since 1960. 57% 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 | 120 | 92 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $395K | 38 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 106 | 88 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $203K | 31 of 96 |
| Floods | 25 | 23 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 61 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 25 | 24 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 96 |
| Hail | 22 | 17 | 1992-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 6 | 1975-2017 | 1 | 0 | $5.8M | 40 of 96 |
| Heat | 5 | 4 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 4 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 71 of 96 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 0 | $9.0M | 53 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 2 | 2003-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2003-2011 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 27 of 96 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 68 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 King William County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in King William County from 1975 to 2017, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 40th 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched King William County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-10-18 15:00, as SPC files it | King William | F3 | 5 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for King William County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-24 | Lanesville, King William County | EF0 0.38 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2008-05-31 | Etna Mills, King William County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2008-04-20 | Midway, King William County | EF0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2008-04-20 | Manquin, King William County | EF0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-04-20 | Enfield, King William County | EF0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2004-09-08 | Aylett, King William County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 1990-10-18 | King William County | F3 5 mi x 430 yd | 1 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-07-13 | King William County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 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 King William County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindKing William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindAylett, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindEpworth, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMangohick, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-10-12 | Coastal FloodKing William County · forecast zone Eastern King William | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindBeulahville, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindLestor Manor, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodBeulahville, King William County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodKing William County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-12 | Flash FloodKing William County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | Flash FloodAylett, King William County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindLanesville, King William County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-10-18 | TornadoKing William County | F3 5 mi x 430 yd | 1 | 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-01 | DroughtKing William County · forecast zone King William | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2011-08-27 | Tropical StormKing William County · forecast zone King William | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2004-08-30 | Flash FloodMangohick, King William County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, King William County | 0 | 0 | $487K | |
| 2008-05-31 | TornadoEtna Mills, King William County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2017-10-24 | TornadoLanesville, King William County | EF0 0.38 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2021-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindLestor Manor, King William County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2008-04-20 | TornadoEnfield, King William County | EF0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
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 18, 1990 (tornado, King William County, 1 killed).
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 King William 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 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 27 | 30 | 40 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 36 | 43 | 20 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% 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 49 · Feb 35 · Mar 26 · Apr 20 · May 26 · Jun 46 · Jul 45 · Aug 26 · Sep 18 · Oct 12 · Nov 7 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for King William County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include King William County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (10) and severe storm (4).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2006-09-22 | DR-1661 | Severe Storm | Tropical Depression Ernesto, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-03 | DR-1544 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1318 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1999-09-18 | DR-1293 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 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) |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-01-26 | DR-525 | Freezing | Ice Conditions |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1969-08-23 | DR-274 | Hurricane | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 King William County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for King William County from 1996 to 2025, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), King William County ranks 1366th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.4 million on 89 claims filed in King William County; the most in one year was 50 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 6 · 1998: 5 · 1999: 3 · 2003: 50 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 11 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2017: 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 King William County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates King William County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 4.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $459K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $206K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $184K | once in about 495 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $553 | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $161K | 5 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $29K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $333K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with King William 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 King William CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download King William County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis