U.S. Virgin Islands natural disasters
The territory's storm and disaster record · population 86,207 · 3 counties and county equivalents
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 422 storm events in U.S. Virgin Islands since 1950, 422 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 1 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are floods and flash floods (123). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest event in U.S. Virgin Islands is the March 29, 2014 rip current in St. John Island and St. Thomas Island: 2 deaths. FEMA has made 33 declarations for U.S. Virgin Islands since 1964, 29 for natural hazards; 21 were major disasters.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm events recorded in U.S. Virgin Islands 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 $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded
- 4221950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 112 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $68Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes (SPC)
- 11950 to 2025
- FEMA declarations
- 3321 major disasters
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.
What natural disasters happen in U.S. Virgin Islands?
By NOAA's records, U.S. Virgin Islands' most frequent hazards are floods and flash floods (123), heavy rain records (74), fog, smoke and funnel cloud records (63); the deadliest are rip current and surf records (10 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.
| Hazard | Records | Last 10 years | Killed | Injured | Damage | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 123 | 27 | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | 3 of 3 |
| Heavy rain | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 3 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $333K | 3 of 3 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 46 | 9 | 0 | 0 | $60M | 3 of 3 |
| Drought | 24 | 22 | 0 | 0 | $328K | 3 of 3 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $355K | 1 of 3 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $128K | 3 of 3 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 16 | 2 | 10 | 1 | $44K | 3 of 3 |
| Heat | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $962K | 3 of 3 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $93K | 1 of 3 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 3 |
| Hail | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | $969 | 1 of 3 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 1 of 3 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).
What were the deadliest disasters in U.S. Virgin Islands?
The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-03-29 | Rip CurrentSt. John Island and St. Thomas Island · forecast zone St. Thomas / St. John And Adjacent Islands Two drowned people on Hull Bay due to high surf. The second body was found dead on Sunday March 30. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-03-08 | High SurfSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix Three men were thrown overboard after a 14 foot boat capsized three miles off the Saint Croix south shore. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-09-21 | LightningSt. Croix Lightning struck and killed one person and injured another at the Gordon Finch Molasses Pier on the south shore while loading a boat onto a trailer. Thunderstoms left several Saint Croix neigborhoods without power. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-01-12 | Rip CurrentSt. Croix A person drowned when he was pulled underwater along with another student by a riptide during a water safety class with nine other students. The other swimmer managed to swim out of the strong current but suffered lacerations. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-09-17 | High SurfSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix A 16 year old male swimming with his father drowned in high surf near the Carambola Beach Resort. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-09-07 | Rip CurrentSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix A woman was swept off the rocks by waves and carried out to sea in Annaly Bay, St Croix. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-02-28 | Rip CurrentSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix A tourist staying at the Carambola Beach Resort near Cane Bay on St. Croix drowned Sunday morning while diving in choppy waters near the resort’s beach. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-03-03 | Rip CurrentSt. Croix A 39 year old man who was swimming with friends drowned after he got caught in choppy waters on the island's north coast. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-01-17 | High SurfSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix High swells estimated at 10 feet swamped and capsized a ship boat about 12 miles of Sandy Point in St. Croix. Two of their occupants managed to climb on top of the boat and were rescued two days later. The third person was never found and presumed dead. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest records in U.S. Virgin Islands
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-11-16 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix | 0 | 0 | $35M | |
| 1999-11-16 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Croix Island and 2 more · forecast zone St. John | 0 | 0 | $8.9M | |
| 2004-09-14 | Tropical StormSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | |
| 2004-09-14 | Tropical StormSt. John Island and St. Thomas Island · forecast zone St. Thomas / St. John And Adjacent Islands | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1998-09-21 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2010-11-10 | Flash FloodSt Croix, St. Croix Island | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1999-11-16 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Thomas Island · forecast zone St. Thomas | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2003-11-10 | FloodSt. Croix Island · forecast zone St. Croix | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.
Which counties in U.S. Virgin Islands have the most records?
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).
Every county in U.S. Virgin Islands
Federal disaster declarations in U.S. Virgin Islands
FEMA has made 33 declarations for U.S. Virgin Islands since 1964: 21 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are hurricane (18), severe storm (3), flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-25 | DR-4841 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Ernesto | 3 |
| 2024-08-18 | EM-3611 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Ernesto | 3 |
| 2023-11-18 | EM-3603 | Other | Elevated Levels of Lead and Copper in the Water Supply | 1 |
| 2022-07-25 | EM-3581 | Other | Water Shortage and Health Impact From Unprecedented Sargassum Seagrass Influx | 1 |
| 2020-07-29 | EM-3531 | Hurricane | Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine | 3 |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4513 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | 3 |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3433 | Biological | Covid-19 | 3 |
| 2019-08-28 | EM-3418 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian | 3 |
| 2017-09-20 | DR-4340 | Hurricane | Hurricane Maria | 3 |
| 2017-09-18 | EM-3390 | Hurricane | Hurricane Maria | 3 |
| 2017-09-07 | DR-4335 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | 3 |
| 2017-09-05 | EM-3383 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | 3 |
| 2010-11-24 | DR-1949 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Rockslides, and Mudslides Assoc. With Ts Tomas | 1 |
| 2010-11-05 | DR-1948 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | 3 |
| 2010-09-28 | DR-1939 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl | 3 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Flood insurance claims in U.S. Virgin Islands
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $73.6 million on 3,289 claims in 3 U.S. Virgin Islands counties. Claims count insured losses only.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Floods in U.S. Virgin IslandsEvery recorded flood in U.S. Virgin Islands: by year, month and county
- Hurricanes and tropical storms in U.S. Virgin IslandsEvery recorded hurricane or tropical storm record in U.S. Virgin Islands: by year, month and county
- Compare U.S. Virgin Islands with another stateSide by side: storm records per square mile, deaths per million, declarations
- How U.S. Virgin Islands ranks among the statesStates ranked by FEMA disaster declarations
- Download U.S. Virgin Islands' FEMA declarations (CSV)33 rows: every declaration in the state, for your own analysis