St. John Island, U.S. Virgin Islands

What hazards hit St. John Island most?

The most frequent records are hurricane and tropical storm records: 21 since 1998. 81% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1998 fell in July and August. Census land area gives no figure for St. John Island under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.

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.

When was the last damaging storm in St. John Island?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 29, 2014 rip current (2 deaths).

Two drowned people on Hull Bay due to high surf. The second body was found dead on Sunday March 30.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 508342)

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

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 St. John Island'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).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

81% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1998 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for St. John Island

FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include St. John Island: 19 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) and flood (3).

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 St. John Island had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for St. John Island from 1999 to 2024, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), St. John Island ranks 1907th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $798,000 on 30 claims filed in St. John Island; the most in one year was 9 in 1989. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

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.

Counties that share a border with St. John Island

1. St. Thomas Island 123
2. St. John Island 63

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

Next

• Hurricanes and tropical storms in U.S. Virgin IslandsThe state's hurricane and tropical storm records, by county, year and month
• The U.S. Virgin Islands recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
• FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in St. John IslandThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
• Download St. John Island's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis