Lexington (city), Virginia

City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51678 · population 7,320 · 2 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 45 records for Lexington (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 40 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (16 records). The most damaging was the June 29, 2012 thunderstorm wind ($321,000 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
45on 40 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
00 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$469Kas 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 Lexington (city) most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 16 since 1983. Census land area gives no figure for Lexington (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.

Lexington (city): records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 16 16 1983-2023 0 0 $365K –
Drought 7 7 2024-2026 0 0 – –
Floods 7 6 2003-2021 0 0 $38K –
Hail 5 5 1998-2023 0 0 $3K –
Winter storms 5 5 2024-2026 0 0 $5K –
High wind and dust storms 3 3 2024-2025 0 0 $58K –
Heavy rain 2 2 2020-2021 0 0 – –

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 Lexington (city)?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 16, 2025 high wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 10 most recent records kept for Lexington (city)
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-01 DroughtRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2026-04-21 DroughtRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Winter StormRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2026-01-06 DroughtRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2025-12-08 Winter StormRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 50 kt wind 0 0 $25K
2025-02-11 Winter StormRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 $5K
2025-01-05 Winter StormRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 –
2012-06-29 Thunderstorm WindLexington (city) 65 kt wind 0 0 $321K

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

The costliest records in Lexington (city) since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2012-06-29 Thunderstorm WindLexington (city) 65 kt wind 0 0 $321K
2025-02-16 High WindRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 50 kt wind 0 0 $25K
2025-02-11 Winter StormRockbridge County and 2 more · forecast zone Rockbridge 0 0 $5K

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 Lexington (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).

Lexington (city): records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind00012841

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Lexington (city). The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 6 · Feb 3 · Mar 0 · Apr 1 · May 3 · Jun 10 · Jul 6 · Aug 10 · Sep 4 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 2 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Lexington (city)

FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Lexington (city): 8 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (4) and flood (3).

Declarations including Lexington (city), newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-23EM-3631Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-04-02DR-4512BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3448BiologicalCovid-19
2018-09-11EM-3403HurricaneHurricane Florence
2012-10-29EM-3359HurricaneHurricane Sandy
2012-07-27DR-4072Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2005-09-12EM-3240HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
1996-09-06DR-1135HurricaneHurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond
1996-01-13DR-1086SnowstormBlizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm)
1995-07-01DR-1059Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1993-03-25EM-3112SnowstormSevere Winter Storm
1992-05-19DR-944FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1985-11-09DR-755FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1972-06-23DR-339FloodTropical 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 Lexington (city) had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 7 flood or flash flood records for Lexington (city) from 2003 to 2021, on 6 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lexington (city) ranks 1851st of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $253,000 on 34 claims filed in Lexington (city); the most in one year was 12 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 3 · 1982: 3 · 1985: 2 · 1992: 5 · 1995: 12 · 1996: 8 · 1998: 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 Lexington (city)

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lexington (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.2 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Lexington (city) (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
LightningRelatively Low$161K43 a year (modeled)
HurricaneVery Low$132Konce in about 17 years (modeled)
EarthquakeVery Low$184Konce in about 992 years (modeled)
LandslideVery Low$76once in about 197 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherVery Low$11K12 a year (modeled)
Strong WindVery Low$115K2.9 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveVery Low$130K3.1 a year (modeled)
HailVery Low$35K2.7 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 Lexington (city)

  1. Rockbridge County 560
  2. Lexington (city) 45

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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