Fairfax city, Virginia severe weather history spans 59 recorded events between 1984 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 44.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,019 nationally and #124 in Virginia.
59
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Fairfax city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Fairfax city, Virginia severe weather history averages 1.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 36 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 58 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Fairfax city, Virginia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $2.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Fairfax city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 26 | 1 | $91K | 60 | 1984–2025 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | $2.0M | 1 | 1991–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2003 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2011 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $65K | 0 | 1998–2003 |
| Strong Wind | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Fairfax city, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-06-24 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-10-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Fairfax city
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2011 | Flash Flood | FAIRFAX | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 8, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding of Accotink Creek forced the closure of numerous roadways, including Route 50 at Rebel Run, Eaton Place, and Draper Drive. Also, Pickett Road was closed at Old Pickett Road and Old Lee Highway was closed at Ridge Drive.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,026
Population (ACS)
$723K
Median home value
17
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 |
| Mar 7, 2016 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Nov 26, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Fairfax city, Virginia?
59 events are on record between 1984 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $2.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Fairfax city?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 26 recorded events — 44.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Fairfax city?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Fairfax city?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Fairfax city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Fairfax city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fairfax city as very low risk, placing it in the 5 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Fairfax city, 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
- Emporia city 60
- Danville city 159
- Falls Church city 53
- Covington city 25
- Franklin city 75
- Colonial Heights city 82
Cite this page
“Fairfax city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/fairfax-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.