Montgomery County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51121 · population 99,701 · 387 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 677 records for Montgomery County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 404 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (219 records). The deadliest single record is the February 22, 2003 flood, filed for the forecast zone Montgomery, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $9,625 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1972, 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
- 677on 404 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $30Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest EF1
- 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 Montgomery County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 219 since 1965. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1965 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 | 219 | 141 | 1965-2026 | 1 | 7 | $2.1M | 30 of 96 |
| Hail | 164 | 91 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 4 of 96 |
| Floods | 106 | 66 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $4.0M | 22 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 82 | 81 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 57 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 50 | 49 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $595K | 7 of 96 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 18 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 6 | 2006-2023 | 0 | 0 | $45K | 72 of 96 |
| Lightning | 10 | 9 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $720K | 16 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 35 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 4 | 1987-2021 | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | 68 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 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 Montgomery County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Montgomery County from 1987 to 2021, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Montgomery County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Montgomery County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-31 | Merrimac, Montgomery County | EF1 0.22 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2021-08-31 | Childress, Montgomery County | EF1 1.9 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2017-10-23 | Whitethorne, Montgomery County | EF1 1.74 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 1998-06-11 | Radford City, Montgomery County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-03-30 | Montgomery County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 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.
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 Montgomery County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindNew Ellett, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | HailMerrimac, Montgomery County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | Flash FloodWalton, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindChildress, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindBlacksburg, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-06-16 | Flash FloodAlleghany Spg, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-16 | Flash FloodChristiansburg, Montgomery County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-02-22 | FloodMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery Heavy rain over a long period of time caused small stream and urban flooding. A man who had been rescued once from the North Fork of the Roanoke River, returned to his truck with his father, and attempted to recover items from the truck. They remained trapped in the flood waters for several hours. The son died later ... | 1 | 1 | $10K | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMountain View, Montgomery County Thunderstorm winds blew thousands of trees and branches down across the county. There were numerous reports of power lines being taken down by the wind or by falling trees or branches. Structural damage occurred to numerous homes that had trees fall on them. Parked vehicles also suffered damage when trees fell on ... | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1990-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindMontgomery County | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2021-08-29 | Thunderstorm WindFagg, Montgomery County Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree down on a vehicle near the intersection of Northfork Road and Seneca Hollow Road. Two people were transported to the hospital with unknown injury severity. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $11K |
| 1995-08-18 | Thunderstorm WindBlacksburg, Montgomery County | 0 | 1 | $19K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-09-01 | DroughtMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMountain View, Montgomery County | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2015-09-29 | Flash FloodRiner, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1996-01-06 | Heavy SnowMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2018-10-11 | Flash FloodPilot, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $743K | |
| 1998-10-01 | DroughtMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | $362K | |
| 2011-08-06 | LightningMerrimac, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $361K | |
| 2009-05-15 | Flash FloodHouchins, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $344K |
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: March 30, 1987 (tornado, Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 66 | 58 | 61 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 77 | 44 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 25 | 28 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 23 | 19 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1965 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 56 · Mar 43 · Apr 44 · May 117 · Jun 106 · Jul 94 · Aug 70 · Sep 46 · Oct 17 · Nov 16 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Montgomery County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Montgomery County: 16 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (6) and hurricane (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-04 | DR-4863 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2024-10-01 | DR-4831 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-29 | EM-3621 | Tropical Storm | Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene |
| 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 |
| 2018-09-11 | 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 |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-18 | DR-1570 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding From the Remanants of Hurricane Jeanne |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1458 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,Floodind, and Mudslide |
| 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 |
| 1992-05-19 | DR-944 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-10-15 | EM-3018 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Montgomery County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 106 flood or flash flood records for Montgomery County from 1996 to 2025, on 66 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Montgomery County ranks 1001st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.2 million on 181 claims filed in Montgomery County; the most in one year was 24 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 12 · 1980: 1 · 1983: 4 · 1985: 24 · 1989: 11 · 1992: 11 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 8 · 1996: 15 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 13 · 2004: 14 · 2009: 7 · 2013: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 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 Montgomery County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Montgomery County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $70K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $137K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $348K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 706 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $11M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $247K | 2.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $220K | 4 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Montgomery County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis