Staunton (city), Virginia
City storm and disaster record · FIPS 51790 · population 25,738 · 20 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 85 records for Staunton (city), Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 72 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (25 records). The most damaging was the August 8, 2003 flash flood ($2.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1972, 12 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
- 85on 72 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $3.5Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 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 Staunton (city) most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 25 since 1977. 52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1977 fell in July and August. Census land area gives no figure for Staunton (city) under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 25 | 24 | 1977-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | – |
| Floods | 20 | 13 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | – |
| Winter storms | 17 | 17 | 2024-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hail | 9 | 7 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2000-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2024-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | $18K | – |
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 Staunton (city)?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 31, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-14 | Cold/Wind ChillStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter WeatherStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-05 | Winter WeatherStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-02 | Winter WeatherStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-16 | High WindStaunton (city) and Waynesboro (city) · forecast zone Augusta | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindStaunton (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindStaunton (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-08-08 | Flash FloodStaunton (city) | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2022-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindStaunton (city) | 85 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2025-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindStaunton (city) | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 Staunton (city)'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 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1977 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 10 · Feb 10 · Mar 7 · Apr 1 · May 4 · Jun 11 · Jul 12 · Aug 18 · Sep 5 · Oct 0 · Nov 2 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Staunton (city)
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Staunton (city): 8 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3631 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-25 | EM-3112 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 Staunton (city) had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Staunton (city) from 1999 to 2020, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Staunton (city) ranks 1604th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $786,000 on 57 claims filed in Staunton (city); the most in one year was 18 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1996: 15 · 2003: 18 · 2006: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 14 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 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 Staunton (city)
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Staunton (city) Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $281K | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $158K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $42K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $389K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 22 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $177K | once in about 826 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $3.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $94K | 1.7 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 Staunton (city)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 Staunton (city)The hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Staunton (city)'s FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis