Stafford County, Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 51179 · population 156,513 · 268 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 636 records for Stafford County, Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 389 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (260 records). The deadliest single record is the April 15, 2019 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1972, 18 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
- 636on 389 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $21Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Stafford County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 260 since 1967. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 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 | 260 | 139 | 1967-2026 | 1 | 2 | $4.3M | 14 of 96 |
| Floods | 102 | 44 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $107K | 23 of 96 |
| Hail | 74 | 50 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 9 of 96 |
| Winter storms | 63 | 59 | 2013-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 96 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 45 | 44 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 96 |
| Heat | 35 | 35 | 2013-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 96 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 26 | 2013-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 96 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 9 of 96 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2000-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 96 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2016-2023 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 70 of 96 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2008 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 35 of 96 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $479K | 26 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 Stafford County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Stafford County from 1960 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 9th 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Stafford County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: 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 Stafford County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-08 | Glendia, Stafford County | EF1 6.92 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $235K |
| 2011-10-13 | Midway Is, Stafford County | EF0 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2011-04-27 | Midway Is, Stafford County | EF0 0.62 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-04 | Storch, Stafford County | EF1 3.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2008-06-04 | Glendia, Stafford County | EF1 1.03 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2008-05-08 | Berea, Stafford County | EF2 3.42 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2006-05-11 | Falmouth, Stafford County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2004-09-17 | White Oak, Stafford County | F1 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2004-09-08 | Garrisonville, Stafford County | F0 5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2004-09-08 | White Oak, Stafford County | F0 5.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2003-07-10 | White Oak, Stafford County | F0 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-09-24 | Garrisonville, Stafford County | F0 4.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $167 |
| 1999-07-24 | Falmouth, Stafford County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1979-09-05 | Stafford County | F1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-02-18 | Stafford County | F1 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Stafford County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindRuby, Stafford County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindWidewater, Stafford County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindFalmouth, Stafford County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindStafford County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRoseville, Stafford County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRuby, Stafford County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherStafford County · forecast zone Stafford | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindAquia, Stafford County A tree fell onto a house on Doyle Place, injuring an 82 year old male and killing a 78 year old female who were asleep in the house at the time. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 1992-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindStafford County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-08 | TornadoBerea, Stafford County | EF2 3.42 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2004-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindLeeland, Stafford County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2021-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindBerea, Stafford County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $762K |
| 2024-08-08 | TornadoGlendia, Stafford County | EF1 6.92 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $235K |
| 2004-09-08 | TornadoGarrisonville, Stafford County | F0 5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindWidewater, Stafford County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 1996-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindFalmouth, Stafford County | 0 | 0 | $38K | |
| 2006-05-11 | TornadoFalmouth, Stafford County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 5, 1979 (tornado, Stafford 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 Stafford 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 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 24 | 40 | 114 | 71 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 10 | 64 | 22 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 30 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 44 | 19 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 30 | 12 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 23 | 12 |
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 1967 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 37 · Mar 33 · Apr 30 · May 58 · Jun 135 · Jul 111 · Aug 90 · Sep 39 · Oct 24 · Nov 22 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Stafford County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Stafford County: 13 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 |
| 2012-07-27 | DR-4072 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1135 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran and Associated Severe Storm Cond |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1086 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-11-09 | DR-755 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-07-23 | EM-3046 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-01-26 | DR-525 | Freezing | Ice Conditions |
| 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 Stafford County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 102 flood or flash flood records for Stafford County from 1996 to 2025, on 44 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Stafford County ranks 1041st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.4 million on 164 claims filed in Stafford County; the most in one year was 35 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1981: 1 · 1985: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 8 · 1996: 17 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 3 · 2003: 35 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 4 · 2006: 4 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 11 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 23 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2024: 2 · 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 Stafford County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Stafford County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $35.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $24M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $865K | 40 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $155K | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $2.0M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 645 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $600K | 3.7 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 Stafford 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 Stafford CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Stafford County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis