Spotsylvania County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51177 · population 139,768 · 402 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 799 records for Spotsylvania County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 522 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (326 records). The deadliest single record is the April 25, 1990 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1969, 17 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
- 799on 522 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 122 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $18Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Spotsylvania County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 326 since 1973. 56% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1973 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 | 326 | 171 | 1973-2026 | 1 | 15 | $3.4M | 21 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 107 | 106 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $212K | 40 of 96 |
| Hail | 76 | 41 | 1990-2023 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 37 of 96 |
| Heat | 73 | 72 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 5 | – | 6 of 96 |
| Floods | 65 | 43 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $318K | 46 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 50 | 49 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 44 | 43 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 15 | 1997-2018 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 51 of 96 |
| Drought | 12 | 12 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 8 | 1995-2013 | 0 | 0 | $951K | 46 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 1997-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 96 |
| Lightning | 8 | 8 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 2 | $204K | 19 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2006-2020 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 25 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 Spotsylvania County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Spotsylvania County from 1995 to 2013, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 46th of 96 Virginia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Spotsylvania County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Spotsylvania County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-06-13 | Hams Ford, Spotsylvania County | EF0 2.45 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2013-06-13 | Alsop, Spotsylvania County | EF0 6.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2013-04-19 | Belmont, Spotsylvania County | EF1 0.75 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 2006-05-11 | Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2006-05-11 | Paytes, Spotsylvania County | F0 5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 2004-09-17 | Holladay, Spotsylvania County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-17 | Massaponax, Spotsylvania County | F0 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-24 | Sylvania Hgts, Spotsylvania County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1999-07-24 | Wilderness Corner, Spotsylvania County | F1 13 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $266K |
| 1999-04-09 | Paytes, Spotsylvania County | F1 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 1998-02-17 | Snell, Spotsylvania County | F1 8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 1995-10-27 | Partlow, Spotsylvania County | F1 2.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $213K |
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 Spotsylvania County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindSylvania Hgts, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindMassaponax, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindGatewood, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindChancellor, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindSpotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindWilderness Corner, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindBrockroad, Spotsylvania County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillSpotsylvania County and Fredericksburg (city) · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillSpotsylvania County and Fredericksburg (city) · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormSpotsylvania County and Fredericksburg (city) · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSpotsylvania County and Fredericksburg (city) · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherSpotsylvania County and Fredericksburg (city) · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindSpotsylvania County | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2012-07-08 | Thunderstorm WindConcord Hgts, Spotsylvania County A microburst with 80 mph westerly winds tore through an area three miles south of Fredericksburg. On Fleming Street between Lafayette Boulevard and Route 1, a roof was torn off a gym and the wall collapsed. There were seven injuries in the gym. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 7 | – |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatSpotsylvania County · forecast zone Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg 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 ... | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 1989-05-05 | Thunderstorm WindSpotsylvania County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2002-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindWilderness Corner, Spotsylvania County High winds knocked down numerous trees in the Lake Wilderness community and across Spotsylvania National Military Park. One tree fell onto a pickup truck and injured the driver. | 0 | 1 | $205K | |
| 1996-06-24 | LightningWilderness, Spotsylvania County A woman was checking the circuit breaker box in her garage when lightning struck. The ensuing power surge slammed the woman against a vehicle, knocking her unconscious for a short period of time. | 0 | 1 | $19K | |
| 1996-05-04 | LightningPartlow, Spotsylvania County A man was injured when lightning struck a tree near the porch on which he was standing. He was knocked into shock, but not unconscious. Another lightning strike started a fire in an abandoned trailer. | 0 | 1 | $9K | |
| 1990-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindSpotsylvania County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | High WindSpotsylvania County · forecast zone Spotsylvania | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12M |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindBrockroad, Spotsylvania County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $969K |
| 2020-08-24 | Thunderstorm WindMassaponax, Spotsylvania County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $456K |
| 1999-07-24 | TornadoWilderness Corner, Spotsylvania County | F1 13 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $266K |
| 1995-10-27 | TornadoPartlow, Spotsylvania County | F1 2.75 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $213K |
| 2002-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindWilderness Corner, Spotsylvania County | 0 | 1 | $205K | |
| 1998-02-17 | TornadoSnell, Spotsylvania County | F1 8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2006-05-11 | TornadoPaytes, Spotsylvania County | F0 5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
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 Spotsylvania 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 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 58 | 159 | 74 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 30 | 49 | 17 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 38 | 2 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 19 | 36 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 14 | 26 | 17 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 18 | 21 | 11 |
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 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1973 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 59 · Feb 52 · Mar 39 · Apr 55 · May 70 · Jun 161 · Jul 161 · Aug 85 · Sep 35 · Oct 31 · Nov 18 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Spotsylvania County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Spotsylvania County: 12 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and snowstorm (5).
| 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 |
| 2018-09-11 | EM-3403 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2016-03-07 | DR-4262 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3359 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-11-04 | DR-4042 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2010-04-27 | DR-1905 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2010-02-16 | DR-1874 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1994-04-11 | DR-1021 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-339 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1969-08-23 | DR-274 | Hurricane | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Spotsylvania County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 65 flood or flash flood records for Spotsylvania County from 1996 to 2025, on 43 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Spotsylvania County ranks 1629th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $163,000 on 54 claims filed in Spotsylvania County; the most in one year was 6 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 6 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 2; 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 Spotsylvania County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Spotsylvania County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $933K | 40 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 436 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.6M | 5.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $16M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $117K | 7.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $438K | 3.5 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 Spotsylvania 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 Spotsylvania CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Spotsylvania County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis