Louisa County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51109 · population 37,590 · 495 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 503 records for Louisa County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 338 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (221 records). The deadliest single record is the April 6, 2023 lightning: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1969, 23 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
- 503on 338 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $12Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Louisa County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 221 since 1960. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in May and June. 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 | 221 | 148 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 51 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 129 | 108 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $231K | 52 of 96 |
| Hail | 50 | 35 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 69 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 36 | 27 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 96 |
| Floods | 23 | 19 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1962-2022 | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | 34 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 4 | 2003-2026 | 0 | 0 | $500K | 74 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 6 | 2000-2018 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 77 of 96 |
| Heat | 5 | 4 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 3 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 96 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | 72 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2003-2011 | 0 | 0 | $787 | 42 of 96 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 1 | 1 | – | 72 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 Louisa County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Louisa County from 1962 to 2022, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 34th 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 15 tornadoes whose track touched Louisa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Louisa County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-16 | Mineral, Louisa County | EF0 2.14 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2022-05-27 | Inez, Louisa County | EF0 2.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2022-05-27 | Louisa County | EF1 2.58 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2019-04-19 | Frederick Hall, Louisa County | EF2 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $231K |
| 2011-10-13 | Waldrop, Louisa County | EF1 0.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $230K |
| 2011-04-27 | Dabneys, Louisa County | EF0 0.22 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2006-05-11 | Ferncliff, Louisa County | F0 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2004-09-17 | Louisa County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 1998-02-17 | Bumpass, Louisa County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1989-05-05 | Louisa County | F1 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-05 | Louisa County | F1 2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-10-13 | Louisa County | F1 2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-08-01 | Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1976-05-18 | Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1962-08-09 | Louisa County | F2 22.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Louisa 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 WindOrchid, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMineral, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindFerncliff, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindFerncliff, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindBumpass, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-20 | Frost/FreezeLouisa County · forecast zone Western Louisa | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBumpass, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindApple Grove, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCuckoo, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindLouisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindWillowbrook, Louisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-18 | HailLocust Creek, Louisa County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-06 | LightningWares Xrds, Louisa County A 73 year old man was struck and killed by lightning while boating on Lake Anna in Louisa county. Also, a pregnant woman was injured. | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-01 | DroughtLouisa County · forecast zone Louisa | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2026-04-20 | Frost/FreezeLouisa County · forecast zone Western Louisa | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindLouisa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $450K |
| 2000-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBoswells Tavern, Louisa County | 0 | 0 | $257K | |
| 2019-04-19 | TornadoFrederick Hall, Louisa County | EF2 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $231K |
| 2011-10-13 | TornadoWaldrop, Louisa County | EF1 0.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $230K |
| 2022-05-27 | TornadoLouisa County | EF1 2.58 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2021-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindLouisa County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $38K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 9, 1962 (tornado, Louisa County); October 13, 1983 (tornado, Louisa County); May 5, 1989 (tornado, Louisa 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 Louisa 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 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 44 | 73 | 58 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 43 | 48 | 23 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 8 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 13 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 5 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 54 · Feb 47 · Mar 29 · Apr 37 · May 59 · Jun 101 · Jul 53 · Aug 47 · Sep 16 · Oct 17 · Nov 17 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Louisa County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Louisa County: 17 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and snowstorm (6).
| 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 |
| 2018-09-11 | EM-3403 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2016-03-07 | DR-4262 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-27 | DR-4072 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2011-11-04 | DR-4042 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3329 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-04-27 | DR-1905 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 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) |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice 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 |
| 1972-10-10 | DR-359 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Louisa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Louisa County from 1996 to 2025, on 19 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Louisa County ranks 2636th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $36,000 on 4 claims filed in Louisa County; the most in one year was 1 in 1992. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1992: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2016: 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 Louisa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Louisa County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $543K | 40 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $457K | 4.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 344 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $551K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $241K | 3.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $603K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Louisa 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 Louisa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Louisa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis