Rockingham County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51165 · population 83,694 · 850 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,251 records for Rockingham County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 736 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (386 records). 724 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 deadliest single record is the July 4, 1999 heat, filed for the forecast zone Rockingham / Harrisonburg, which covers the county: 1 death and 6 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1972, 19 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
- 1,251on 736 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 230 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $102Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Rockingham County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 386 since 1996. 56% 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 | 386 | 230 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 21 | $1.6M | 38 of 96 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 280 | 161 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 83 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 149 | 86 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | 19 of 96 |
| Floods | 140 | 76 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $67M | 55 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 96 | 75 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 96 |
| Hail | 72 | 45 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 80 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 34 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 47 of 96 |
| Heat | 28 | 28 | 1996-2021 | 1 | 6 | – | 23 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 16 | 1998-2003 | 0 | 0 | $257K | 65 of 96 |
| Lightning | 12 | 10 | 1996-2003 | 1 | 3 | $816K | 33 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 8 | 1952-2019 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | 70 of 96 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 1998-1999 | 0 | 0 | $21M | 59 of 96 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 7 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 4 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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Rockingham County from 1952 to 2019, the strongest rated EF2, 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Rockingham County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Rockingham County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10-31 | Hupp, Rockingham County | EF0 0.54 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2011-04-28 | Pleasant Vly, Rockingham County | EF1 2.63 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2011-04-28 | Linville, Rockingham County | EF1 0.86 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2011-04-28 | Genoa, Rockingham County | EF2 9.06 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $262K |
| 2008-08-02 | Elkton, Rockingham County | EF0 0.24 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-24 | Broadway, Rockingham County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 1979-10-02 | Rockingham County | F1 1.1 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-08-15 | Rockingham County | F1 1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-08-06 | Rockingham County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-04-05 | Rockingham County | F2 4.9 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 Rockingham 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 WindRutherford, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindHupp, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindBroadway, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGenoa, Rockingham County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 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 WeatherRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 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 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRockingham County and Harrisonburg (city) · forecast zone Rockingham | 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 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-04 | HeatRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham / Harrisonburg High pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast from the 4th through the 7th, acting like a heat pump drawing extremely warm and humid air into Northern Virginia. Temperatures on the 4th through early on the 7th were oppressively hot, and extremely humid conditions added to the misery. These conditions continued until a ... | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 1996-07-14 | LightningHarrisonburg, Rockingham County A soccer player was struck by lightning at the Rockingham Co fairgrounds. The match had been called due to the storm, but the athlete had not sought shelter before the lightning struck. He perished approximately 12 hours later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-11-17 | Winter WeatherAlbemarle County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Virginia Blue Ridge At 4:37 AM EST this morning on I-64 at mile marker 100 (near summit of Afton Mountain/Blue Ridge; approximately 4 miles SE Waynesboro, VA), a tractor trailer lost control and overturned. A tour bus was unable to stop and impacted the truck. Several other minor accidents ensued. The culprit is likely black ice due to ... | 0 | 21 | $577K | |
| 2000-06-14 | LightningCountywide, Rockingham County Three dispatchers in Wentworth were struck by lightning through their headsets. | 0 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-09-06 | FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $28M | |
| 1999-07-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham / Harrisonburg | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodAll, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | |
| 1997-04-10 | Frost/FreezeRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 2003-09-18 | High WindRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2003-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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: April 5, 1952 (tornado, Rockingham 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 Rockingham 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 | – | – | – | – | 24 | 47 | 174 z | 141 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 37 | 113 | 95 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 16 | 82 z | 49 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 16 | 84 | 29 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 58 z | 27 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 27 | 11 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 174 records against 47 in the decade before, 174 of them forecast-zone records. Extreme cold in the 2010s: 82 records against 16 in the decade before, 82 of them forecast-zone records. Fog, smoke and funnel clouds in the 2010s: 58 records against 11 in the decade before, 57 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 Rockingham 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?
56% 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 162 · Feb 139 · Mar 108 · Apr 95 · May 105 · Jun 177 · Jul 115 · Aug 115 · Sep 50 · Oct 39 · Nov 45 · Dec 101 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rockingham County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Rockingham County: 12 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (5) and flood (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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-02-20 | FM-2861 | Fire | Coffman Fire |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-27 | DR-1098 | Flood | Flooding, High Winds, and Wind Driven Rain |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 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 |
| 1976-10-15 | EM-3018 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-10-10 | DR-359 | 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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 140 flood or flash flood records for Rockingham County from 1996 to 2025, on 76 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rockingham County ranks 782nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.5 million on 282 claims filed in Rockingham County; the most in one year was 177 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1985: 41 · 1987: 3 · 1996: 177 · 1998: 4 · 2001: 3 · 2003: 18 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 7 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 8 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 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 Rockingham County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rockingham County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $34.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $26M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | once in about 20 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 3.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $669K | 39 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $101K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $38K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.0M | 2.1 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 Rockingham 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 Rockingham CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rockingham County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis