Lynchburg (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51680 · population 78,993 · 49 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 327 records for Lynchburg (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 246 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (99 records). The deadliest single record is the September 30, 2022 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Campbell, which covers the county: 1 death and $40,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1972, 15 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
- 327on 246 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 23 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $59Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Lynchburg (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 99 since 1977. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1977 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Lynchburg (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 | 99 | 64 | 1977-2025 | 0 | 1 | $10M | – |
| Winter storms | 65 | 64 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $206K | – |
| Floods | 46 | 36 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $22M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 33 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.3M | – |
| Hail | 29 | 22 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4K | – |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | – |
| Lightning | 11 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $396K | – |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 9 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $23K | – |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 8 | 2018-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2003-2020 | 0 | 0 | $167K | – |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $97K | – |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 2 | $11M | – |
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 Lynchburg (city) had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Lynchburg (city) from 2018 to 2018, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. 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 1 tornado whose track touched Lynchburg (city) since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-15 17:00, as SPC files it | Lynchburg | EF3 | 20.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Lynchburg (city) (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-15 | Glenn Field Lynch, Lynchburg (city) | EF2 8.6 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $11M |
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 Lynchburg (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 31, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | HailLynchburg (city) | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | HailLynchburg (city) | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | HailLyh Ivy Hill Airport, Lynchburg (city) | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | HailLyh Ivy Hill Airport, Lynchburg (city) | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | HailLyh Ivy Hill Airport, Lynchburg (city) | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | DroughtCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Heavy SnowCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-09-30 | Strong WindCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell Several trees were downed by the non-thunderstorm winds from the remnants of Ian, including in and near Lynchburg and Gladys. Some of the trees fell on homes and apartments in the Lynchburg area, and four families were displaced. Approximately 5,300 residents lost power. One tree fell on a car while it was traveling ... | 46 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $40K |
| 2014-01-05 | Winter WeatherCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell Kristine D. Kitts, 19, was traveling south along the 5900 block of Boonesboro Road around 7 a.m. when she lost control and ran off the left side of the road, police say. Police say Kitts was driving a 2005 Suzuki Sport Utility Vehicle. The SUV crossed a driveway and went over an embankment before turning over, police ... | 1 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoGlenn Field Lynch, Lynchburg (city) This is the second segment of a tornado that touched down just south of Waterlink Road near Timberlake in Campbell County at 6:00 PM EST. The tornado crossed Timberlake Road and entered the independent city of Lynchburg at 6:03 PM EST. The tornado uprooted trees and caused notable damage to 332 private buildings, and ... | EF2 8.6 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $11M |
| 2023-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindLynchburg (city) Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees along the Blackwater Creek Trail and Point of Honor Trail in Lynchburg. One tree fell on a Parks and Recreation truck while an employee was assessing the storm damage, and caused minor injuries to the employee. | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-02 | Flash FloodGlenn Field Lynch, Lynchburg (city) | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 2007-09-01 | DroughtCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoGlenn Field Lynch, Lynchburg (city) | EF2 8.6 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $11M |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBlue Ridge Farms, Lynchburg (city) | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9.2M |
| 2018-06-09 | Heavy RainLynchburg Falwell Ar, Lynchburg (city) | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2014-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGlenn Field Lynch, Lynchburg (city) | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $623K |
| 1996-09-06 | High WindCampbell County and Lynchburg (city) · forecast zone Campbell | 0 | 0 | $564K | |
| 2014-06-11 | LightningBlue Ridge Farms, Lynchburg (city) | 0 | 0 | $312K |
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 Lynchburg (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 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 59 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 23 | 21 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 16 | 8 | 12 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 12 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 9 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1977 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 39 · Mar 16 · Apr 34 · May 27 · Jun 56 · Jul 47 · Aug 20 · Sep 20 · Oct 9 · Nov 8 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lynchburg (city)
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Lynchburg (city): 11 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and severe storm (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 |
| 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) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1014 | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1992-05-19 | DR-944 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Lynchburg (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 46 flood or flash flood records for Lynchburg (city) from 1996 to 2024, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lynchburg (city) ranks 1084th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.1 million on 151 claims filed in Lynchburg (city); the most in one year was 35 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 2 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 12 · 1985: 7 · 1987: 14 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 15 · 1990: 1 · 1992: 16 · 1993: 3 · 1995: 12 · 1996: 35 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 3; 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 Lynchburg (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lynchburg (city) Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $537K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $820K | once in about 17 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $909K | once in about 838 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $10M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $57K | 7.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $71K | 1.3 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 Lynchburg (city)
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 Lynchburg (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lynchburg (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis