Alleghany County, Virginia severe weather history spans 179 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,557 nationally and #88 in Virginia.
179
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$11.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Alleghany County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Alleghany County, Virginia severe weather history averages 2.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 61 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 165 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Alleghany County, Virginia record is flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.2M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Alleghany County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 98 | 0 | $694K | 65 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $1K | 3 | 1960–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $10.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 13 | 1 | $550K | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $129K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2019 |
Decade by decade
Alleghany County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Alleghany County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2006 | Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 23, 2016 | Flash Flood | JERRYS RUN | 0 | 3 | $6.1M |
| Mar 21, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding was first reported in Alleghany County at 215 PM EDT (115 PM EST) as Indian Draft Road (Route 600) was closed. Numerous additional reports and social media reports continued to be received through the afternoon. Numerous small streams flooded including Wilson Creek which overflowed Route 629 (Douthat Park Road). The most serious flooding was along Dunlap Creek with runs through the southwestern portions of the county joining the Jackson River just north of Covington. More than 25 homes were badly damaged in the county most of them along Dunlap Creek which set a new flood of record (see Episode for details). Water was reported over Route 60 from Dunlap Creek in several areas. Two water rescues by boat were performed and several landslides were reported including one that was reported to have closed Pitzer Ridge Road (Route 657) east of Route 18. Three Botetourt County firefighters were injured during flood rescue operations.
Thunderstorm wind downed hundreds, and possibly thousands, of trees across the county. Some vehicles were damaged by the falling trees. Structural damage occurred when the wind blew off a barn roof. Damage values are estimated.
There were several landslides and reports of flooding around Clifton Forge. A tree and mud slid down a hillside onto Oak Street in Clifton Forge and four to five trees along with mud and rocks slid down onto Verge Road also in Clifton Forge. Wilson Creek flooded portion of Route 629 (Douthat State Park Road) and Dry Run Creek flooded parts of Route 60 in Cliftondale Park.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,859
Population (ACS)
$126K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 11, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Jul 27, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Alleghany County, Virginia?
179 events are on record between 1960 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $11.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Alleghany County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 98 recorded events — 54.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Alleghany County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Alleghany County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Alleghany County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alleghany County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Alleghany County, Virginia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Albemarle County 845
- Amelia County 242
- Accomack County 224
- Amherst County 321
- Appomattox County 269
- Arlington County 251
Cite this page
“Alleghany County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/alleghany-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.