Rappahannock County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51157 · population 7,327 · 266 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 810 records for Rappahannock County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 598 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (285 records). 535 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the July 1, 1999 drought ($4.4 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1972, 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
- 810on 598 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $20Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest F2
- 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 Rappahannock County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 285 since 1996. 57% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 285 | 223 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $154K | 4 of 96 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 153 | 92 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $690K | 34 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 93 | 74 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $919K | 2 of 96 |
| Floods | 73 | 49 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 17 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 70 | 62 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 96 |
| Heat | 38 | 38 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 32 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 14 of 96 |
| Hail | 28 | 22 | 1956-2023 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 52 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 20 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 96 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1997-2007 | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | 20 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1978-2008 | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | 57 of 96 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $28K | 51 of 96 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 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 Rappahannock County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Rappahannock County from 1978 to 2008, the strongest rated F2, 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 4 tornadoes whose track touched Rappahannock County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Rappahannock County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-23 | Five Forks, Rappahannock County | EF0 1.25 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2005-08-30 | Viewtown, Rappahannock County | F0 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 1980-04-14 | Rappahannock County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-06-19 | Rappahannock County | F2 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Rappahannock County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindFive Forks, Rappahannock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindSperryville, Rappahannock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter WeatherGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGreene County and 5 more · forecast zone Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-01 | DroughtRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 1997-07-01 | DroughtRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 1996-09-06 | FloodRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | $978K | |
| 1996-09-06 | High WindRappahannock County · forecast zone Rappahannock | 0 | 0 | $960K | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Rappahannock County | 0 | 0 | $602K | |
| 2008-07-23 | TornadoFive Forks, Rappahannock County | EF0 1.25 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2025-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindSperryville, Rappahannock County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindSperryville, Rappahannock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
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: April 14, 1980 (tornado, Rappahannock 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 Rappahannock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 51 | 128 | 88 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 47 | 57 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 14 | 45 z | 32 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 10 | 32 | 14 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 39 z | 20 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 16 | 10 | 4 |
Extreme cold in the 2010s: 45 records against 14 in the decade before, 45 of them forecast-zone records. Fog, smoke and funnel clouds in the 2010s: 39 records against 11 in the decade before, 39 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Rappahannock County days with a record above.
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 winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 134 · Feb 103 · Mar 75 · Apr 42 · May 56 · Jun 69 · Jul 87 · Aug 63 · Sep 42 · Oct 31 · Nov 22 · Dec 86 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rappahannock County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Rappahannock County: 18 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and hurricane (7).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2016-03-07 | DR-4262 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-11-26 | DR-4092 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-27 | DR-4072 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010-04-27 | DR-1905 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2006-07-13 | DR-1655 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-12 | EM-3240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1491 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-27 | DR-1098 | Flood | Flooding, High Winds, and Wind Driven Rain |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1992-05-19 | DR-944 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | 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 Rappahannock County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 73 flood or flash flood records for Rappahannock County from 1996 to 2025, on 49 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rappahannock County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $17,000 on 9 claims filed in Rappahannock County; the most in one year was 3 in 2025. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1996: 2 · 2018: 1 · 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 Rappahannock County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rappahannock County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.4 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 Low | $242K | 4 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $305K | 6.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $113K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $21K | once in about 1,032 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $205 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $53K | once in about 767 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $94K | 3.6 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rappahannock 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
- Winter storms in VirginiaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Rappahannock CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rappahannock County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis