Franklin County, Virginia severe weather history spans 760 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #328 nationally and #6 in Virginia.
760
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$9.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Franklin County, Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Franklin County, Virginia severe weather history averages 11.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 324 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 742 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Franklin County, Virginia record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $3.6M 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 Franklin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 404 | 1 | $3.6M | 70 | 1974–2025 |
| Hail | 194 | 0 | $232K | 2 | 1956–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 94 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 27 | 0 | $2.3M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 21 | 0 | $606K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 15 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2017–2020 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $661K | F2 | 1978–2019 |
Decade by decade
Franklin County, Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-17 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 8.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Franklin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | NAFF | 1 | 0 | $750K |
| Aug 10, 2022 | Lightning | HENRY FORK | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | WIRTZ | 0 | 1 | $500 |
| Jun 16, 2022 | Lightning | SNYDERSVILLE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 1997 | Lightning | ROCKY MT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds blew numerous trees down across the county. A mobile home suffered major damage as a fallen tree split the structure in half. Several other homes across the northern part of the county suffered minor to moderate damage from fallen trees in the Boones Mill to Burnt Chimney and Smith Mountain Lake areas. A firefighter was initially injured by a falling tree while responding to a call in his vehicle. The individual later died as a result of the injuries. Damage values are estimated.
Local news reports said many roads were flooded and damaged across Franklin County. Several were closed due to large mudslides, including Five Mile Mountain Road in southern Franklin near the Floyd County line. A section of Virginia 116 (Jubal Early Highway) in the Coopers Cove area was as the road collapsed in the early morning hours on May 22 during prolonged rainfall, according to VDOT officials. VDOT estimated that repairs would take approximately one to two months before the road can reopen to traffic. Dozens of other roads were closed at various times due to flooding.
A tornado touched down just to the north of Oak Level. It then moved northeastward, significantly damaging three structures while heavily damaging or destroying ten outbuildings. The tornado reached a peak intensity of EF-3 near Windy Ridge Road and again near Sealtest Lane. The tornado eventually dissipated to the east of Henry Fork, four miles southeast of Rocky Mount, just short of Doe Run Road. Two individuals received minor injuries due to the tornado. One of the fallen trees landed on a house and a car. Damage values are estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
55,130
Population (ACS)
$240K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 10, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| 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
- Burnt Chimney 122
- Rocky Mt 119
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Franklin County, Virginia?
760 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $9.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Franklin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 404 recorded events — 53.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Franklin County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Franklin County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Franklin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Franklin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County as very low risk, placing it in the 43 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Franklin 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
- Fluvanna County 189
- Frederick County 514
- Floyd County 207
- Giles County 294
- Fauquier County 787
- Gloucester County 210
Cite this page
“Franklin County, Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/virginia/franklin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.