Roanoke County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51161 · population 96,902 · 251 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 646 records for Roanoke County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 414 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (213 records). The deadliest single record is the August 31, 2014 heat, filed for the forecast zone Roanoke, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1972, 21 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
- 646on 414 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $32Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Roanoke County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 213 since 1955. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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 | 213 | 135 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | 12 of 96 |
| Hail | 138 | 80 | 1959-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 1 of 96 |
| Floods | 95 | 58 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8.6M | 11 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 76 | 75 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $770K | 1 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $735K | 34 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 12 | 2013-2023 | 0 | 0 | $871K | 44 of 96 |
| Drought | 13 | 13 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $398K | 10 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 9 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $184K | 26 of 96 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $129K | 11 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1953-2003 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 63 of 96 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 1 | 0 | – | 67 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 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 Roanoke County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Roanoke County from 1953 to 2003, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Roanoke County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Roanoke County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-08-05 | Roanoke City, Roanoke County | F1 0.5 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 1974-04-04 | Roanoke County | F2 6.5 mi x 177 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1953-05-17 | Roanoke County | F2 1 mi x 880 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 Roanoke County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 27, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindAdney Gap, Roanoke County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-12 | Strong WindRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-21 | Thunderstorm WindCave Spg, Roanoke County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | High WindRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-04 | Heavy SnowRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-21 | Flash FloodRoanoke City, Roanoke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-31 | HeatRoanoke County · forecast zone Roanoke The Roanoke Times reported that a 2-year old girl was found dead on September 1st after being left in a parked, closed van in southeast Roanoke. The high temperatures on the 31st reached 90 degrees for the first time during the month of August 2014. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene and apparently had died the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-09-27 | High WindRoanoke County and 2 more · forecast zone Roanoke A few trees were downed by high winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Over 12,000 customers were reported without power by the peak of the high winds, late Friday morning. One postal worker was injured when a tree fell on him on Quails Place in Hollins, Virginia. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $2K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-02-22 | FloodRoanoke County · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 2012-08-01 | HailRoanoke City, Roanoke County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2011-03-10 | Thunderstorm WindMedley, Roanoke County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2018-05-27 | Flash FloodCave Spg, Roanoke County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2018-10-11 | Flash FloodAirport, Roanoke County | 0 | 0 | $888K | |
| 2020-05-19 | Heavy RainSugar Loaf, Roanoke County | 0 | 0 | $871K | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCatawba, Roanoke County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $771K |
| 2014-02-12 | Heavy SnowRoanoke County · forecast zone Roanoke | 0 | 0 | $686K |
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 4, 1974 (tornado, Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 88 | 69 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 31 | 46 | 44 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 15 | 23 | 35 | 22 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 23 | 28 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 24 | 26 | 12 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 50 · Feb 55 · Mar 26 · Apr 45 · May 101 · Jun 119 · Jul 91 · Aug 49 · Sep 52 · Oct 14 · Nov 14 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Roanoke County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Roanoke County: 16 major disasters, 7 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 |
| 2024-10-01 | DR-4831 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm 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) |
| 1995-07-01 | DR-1059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 Roanoke County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 95 flood or flash flood records for Roanoke County from 1996 to 2025, on 58 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Roanoke County ranks 458th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.6 million on 583 claims filed in Roanoke County; the most in one year was 87 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 34 · 1979: 19 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 3 · 1984: 14 · 1985: 87 · 1987: 30 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 21 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 60 · 1993: 10 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 30 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 17 · 2000: 4 · 2003: 24 · 2004: 66 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 8 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 32 · 2015: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 55 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 22 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 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 Roanoke County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Roanoke County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.9 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 | $55K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $553K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $118K | 9.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $15M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $602K | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $998K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $165K | 4.1 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 Roanoke 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 Roanoke CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Roanoke County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis