Galax city, Virginia severe weather history spans 73 recorded events between 1998 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 32.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,984 nationally and #118 in Virginia.
73
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Galax city, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Galax city, Virginia severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 37 events logged in that decade alone.
The costliest is flash flood, with $2.5M 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 Galax city
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 24 | 0 | $0 | 1.5 | 1999–2024 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 14 | 0 | $41K | 55 | 1998–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 14 | 0 | $2.5M | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2025 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2018–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Galax city, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding occurred in downtown Galax, with Main Street closed and several businesses badly flooded. Water was rapidly flowing through Blevins Building Supply store and was described as a 'river' running through it. Damage to the store and inventory was estimated to exceed $1 million. Eight cars were reported stalled out in the flood waters and a Carroll County squad car was totaled as a result. Evacuations were required from a nursing home facility and several other businesses suffered damage.
Galax City was included in a Presidential Major Disaster declaration due to the severe flooding associated with Tropical Storm Michael. There were numerous flash flood reports across the City of Galax starting as early as 1100 AM local time and continuing for several hours. Numerous roads were closed and damaged and several evacuations took place.
All the animals were evacuated from the Galax Veterinary Clinic on Stockyard Road after a mudslide along the road above the clinic brought down a power pole and caused its lines to fall onto the clinic. The Galax Volunteer Fire Department evacuated both pets and staff from the building.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
6,726
Population (ACS)
$141K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 1, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Sep 29, 2024 | Tropical Storm | POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE HELENE | EM |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Dec 18, 2018 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM MICHAEL | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Galax 171
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Galax city, Virginia?
73 events are on record between 1998 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Galax city?
Hail, with 24 recorded events — 32.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Galax city?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Galax city, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Galax city compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Galax city as very low risk, placing it in the 7 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Galax 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
- Fredericksburg city 96
- Hampton city 190
- Franklin city 75
- Harrisonburg city 61
- Falls Church city 53
- Hopewell city 72
Cite this page
“Galax city, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/galax-city/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.