County Hazards

Storm events on record through

Emporia city, Virginia Storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record

This page is a county record of past events and claims. It does not show the flood zone or the risk of an address. For the flood map of an address, use FEMA's address search (opens in a new tab).

NCEI has 60 storm events on record for Emporia city, Virginia, from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.

The newest event on record is a thunderstorm wind event on 5 May 2025.

FEMA has 15 disaster declarations on record for the county from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is EM-3631 of 23 Jan 2026.

OpenFEMA has 18 NFIP claims on record for the county from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026. The NFIP paid $34 thousand on these claims.

The NWS collects event reports from a variety of sources, which include (but are not limited to): county, state, and federal emergency management officials, local law enforcement officials, SKYWARN spotters, NWS damage surveys, newspaper clipping services, the insurance industry, and the general public, among others.

The National Weather Service reports property and crop damage estimates using available data at the time of event reporting. These values should therefore be considered broad estimates. Damage amounts are not adjusted for inflation.

Zone (NWS Forecast Zone): A zone is a geographic area defined by the NWS for issuing forecasts, watches, and warnings. While zones often align with counties, they can also represent smaller or subdivided areas within a county to account for differences in weather conditions, such as elevation or proximity to water. Larger-scale events—such as heat, cold, drought, and winter storms—are typically recorded by zone.

The words of the agency. Source: NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database, page "Frequently Asked Questions", copied on .

This is raw, unedited data from FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) and as such is subject to a small percentage of human error.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

It is derived from the National Flood Insurance Program system of record, staged in the program's reporting platform and redacted to protect policy holder personally identifiable information.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

Dates of the data: NCEI storm events through . OpenFEMA disaster declarations through . NFIP claims through .

Since the last update: no change is on record for Emporia city. The site compares the agency data at each update. Updates of the data

The five hazards

Storm events on record for Emporia city by hazard and period (NCEI, through 30 Jun 2026)
Hazard1950 to 20262000 to 20092010 to 20192020 to 2026Newest event
Hail5400
Tornado3010
Flood11442
Wind21564
Winter0000None on record
Other event types20Heat, cold, drought, wildfire, lightning, fog, tropical and other types
All storm events60172010

A hazard name opens the page of that hazard for the county. A hazard has a page from 10 events. The year 2026 has the events through 30 Jun 2026 only.

A county count has the events that NCEI gives to the county. It also has the events of a forecast zone that has the name of the county. A zone with another name counts for the state only.

Rates of Emporia city beside the total of the counties of Virginia and of the United States
MeasureEmporia cityAll counties of VirginiaAll counties of the United States
Storm events for each 100 square miles, 1950 to 2026869.1136.849.3
Storm events for each 10,000 residents, 1950 to 2026no figure62.552.5
NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force, 2016 to 2025no figure81.0185.3

The columns for the state and the United States total the counties. They count the events of each county in the same way as the county column. The site gives a rate for each 10,000 residents only from 10,000 residents. Residents and area: Census Bureau, 2021.

Newest storm events on record

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Flash Flood

2 miles NW of EMPORIA

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NNW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $10 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles NW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NNW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Flood

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA ARPT

TornadoEF0

3 miles SW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $100 thousand

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Flood

At EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $200 thousand

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Heavy Rain

At EMPORIA

Flash Flood

2 miles NNW of EMPORIA

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NNW of EMPORIA. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Flood

1 mile NW of EMPORIA

Heavy Rain

1 mile NW of EMPORIA

The 25 events above are the newest in the NCEI record. A place is the text of the NCEI record: a distance and a direction from a reference place. Wind speed is in miles per hour, with the knots that NCEI gives. The site does not show a place text that names a private property or reads as a person. Download these events (CSV)

Storm events on record for Emporia city by year, 1950 to 2026
DecadeYear that ends in 0Year that ends in 1Year that ends in 2Year that ends in 3Year that ends in 4Year that ends in 5Year that ends in 6Year that ends in 7Year that ends in 8Year that ends in 9All
1950s00010000001
1960s00000000000
1970s00000000000
1980s00000000000
1990s100000304412
2000s205020212317
2010s214213401220
2020s5100310 (part of the year)10

A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.

NCEI recorded tornado events from 1950, and hail and thunderstorm wind events from 1955. It recorded all event types from 1996. A count before 1996 has fewer event types.

FEMA disaster declarations

FEMA has 15 disaster declarations on record for Emporia city from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is EM-3631: SEVERE WINTER STORM.

Disaster declarations that name Emporia city (OpenFEMA, through 1 Oct 2026)
DeclaredNumberTypeIncident typeTitle in the FEMA recordAssistance
EM-3631EmergencyWinter StormSEVERE WINTER STORMPublic
DR-4512Major disasterBiologicalCOVID-19 PANDEMICIndividual, Public
EM-3448EmergencyBiologicalCOVID-19Public
EM-3403EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE FLORENCEPublic
EM-3359EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE SANDYPublic
DR-4024Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE IRENEPublic
EM-3240EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATIONPublic
DR-1491Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE ISABELIndividual, Public
DR-1411Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODINGIndividual
DR-1318Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORMSPublic
DR-1293Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONSIndividual, Public
DR-1135Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE FRAN AND ASSOCIATED SEVERE STORM CONDIndividual, Public
DR-1086Major disasterSnowstormBLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM)Public
DR-1021Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER ICE STORMPublic
EM-3112EmergencySnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORMPublic

DR is a major disaster declaration. EM is an emergency declaration. FM is a fire management assistance declaration. A declaration for the whole state is on the Virginia page. What a disaster declaration is

The dataset includes declared recovery programs and geographic areas (county not available before 1964; Fire Management records are considered partial due to historical nature of the dataset).

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

Flood insurance claims (NFIP)

OpenFEMA has 18 NFIP claims on record for Emporia city from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026.

The NFIP paid $34,370 on 10 claims.

FEMA counts 18 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The site gives a rate for each 1,000 policies only from 100 policies, because one claim changes a smaller rate too much.

NFIP claims in Emporia city by year of loss, 1978 to 2026
DecadeYear that ends in 0Year that ends in 1Year that ends in 2Year that ends in 3Year that ends in 4Year that ends in 5Year that ends in 6Year that ends in 7Year that ends in 8Year that ends in 9All
1970s202
1980s00000100001
1990s00000010102
2000s00032000005
2010s01010010205
2020s0000300 (part of the year)3

A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.

NFIP claims by year of loss with the amount paid: 11 years
NFIP claims in Emporia city by year of loss, with the amount paid (OpenFEMA, through 8 Sep 2026)
Year of lossClaimsClaims with a paymentAmount paid
20243not shownnot shown
20182not shownnot shown
20161not shownnot shown
20131not shownnot shown
20111not shownnot shown
20042not shownnot shown
20033not shownnot shown
19981not shownnot shown
19961not shownnot shown
19851not shownnot shown
19782not shownnot shown

A year with fewer than 5 claims shows the count of claims and no amount. A year with 1 to 4 claims with a payment shows no amount either. Such an amount could point to one property. The amount is the sum of the building, contents and increased cost of compliance payments. FEMA counts 1 multiple-loss property in the county (2 Aug 2026). How FEMA redacts NFIP claims

This dataset is not intended to be an official federal report, and should not be considered an official federal report.

Note, the County Code field may not reflect the individual county the property is located as projects can be associated with more than one county

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

FEMA cannot verify the quality and/or timeliness of any data or any analysis derived therefrom after the data has been retrieved from FEMA.gov.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions, copied on . The page gives: last updated 2025-01-22.

National Risk Index

Risk Index rating
Very Low
Risk Index score
5.0 of 100
Expected Annual Loss rating
Very Low
Expected Annual Loss
$2.6 million
Social Vulnerability rating
Relatively High
Community Resilience rating
Relatively High
National Risk Index of Emporia city by hazard type (FEMA, December 2025 release)
Hazard typeRisk Index ratingExpected Annual Loss
Cold waveVery Low$54,452
EarthquakeVery Low$112,495
HailVery Low$19,858
Heat waveVery Low$71,543
HurricaneRelatively Low$734,274
Ice stormVery Low$19,396
Inland floodingVery Low$1,426,612
LandslideVery Low$0
LightningVery Low$19,998
Strong windVery Low$29,814
TornadoVery Low$142,186
WildfireVery Low$333
Winter weatherVery Low$18,606

The National Risk Index dataset leverages available source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.

The rating is a qualitative categorization that describes the community in comparison to all other communities at the same level, ranging from “Very Low” to “Very High.”

The National Risk Index data are meant for planning purposes only.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, National Risk Index Data: Frequently Asked Questions (December 2025, v1.20), copied on .

The labels and the ratings are those of FEMA. Expected Annual Loss is a figure for a whole county. It is not a figure for a property. How to read the National Risk Index

Tropical storm and hurricane tracks

The HURDAT2 record of the National Hurricane Center has 77 tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of the county, through the 2025 season. 2 of them were within 50 miles at hurricane strength.

Storm names, years and distances: 40 tracks
Tropical storm and hurricane tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of Emporia city (NHC HURDAT2)
Storm nameYearNearest point of the trackHighest wind within 100 miles
Ophelia202327 miles46 mph
Claudette202175 miles46 mph
Elsa202110 miles52 mph
Isaias202080 miles69 mph
Zeta202085 miles52 mph
Nestor201951 miles46 mph
Michael201816 miles58 mph
Andrea201388 miles46 mph
Hanna200876 miles52 mph
Alberto200683 miles40 mph
Ernesto200620 miles46 mph
Charley200492 miles46 mph
Gaston200462 miles40 mph
Isabel20039 miles75 mph
Helene200082 miles46 mph
Dennis199983 miles40 mph
Floyd199980 miles81 mph
Earl199858 miles58 mph
Danny199751 miles46 mph
Bertha199630 miles69 mph
Fran199681 miles46 mph
Josephine199698 miles52 mph
Charley198697 miles81 mph
Diana198499 miles52 mph
Doria197159 miles63 mph
Alma197033 miles40 mph
Doria196792 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm196589 miles46 mph
Cleo196469 miles40 mph
Isbell196483 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm196393 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm196171 miles52 mph
Brenda196061 miles58 mph
Cindy195959 miles46 mph
Flossy195692 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm195693 miles52 mph
Connie195584 miles86 mph
Diane195566 miles58 mph
Ione195579 miles75 mph
Hazel195464 miles92 mph

A name is the storm name that the National Hurricane Center gave. The distance is from the centre line of the track. It does not show how far the wind, the rain or the surge of a storm went.

ZIP Codes, cities and towns of Emporia city

Each ZIP Code below has a page with its NFIP claims by year.

A city or town has no page of its own. This page is the record for the whole county, which has these places:

  • Emporia

Official channels

These links open the pages of the agencies. The site checked the links on .

Cite this page

County Hazards. "Emporia city, Virginia: storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record". https://countyhazards.com/county/va/emporia-city/. Data: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database through 30 Jun 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA disaster declarations through 1 Oct 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP claims through 8 Sep 2026. Page made on .

Where the data comes from

  • Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026.
  • Disaster declarations: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, read on 1 Oct 2026.
  • NFIP claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, as of 8 Sep 2026. Multiple-loss properties: 2 Aug 2026. Policies in force: 3 Aug 2026.
  • National Risk Index: FEMA, December 2025 release. Storm tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through the 2025 season.
  • Residents, area, places and adjacent counties: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage.

How the counts are made · Corrections · Hazards in all states: hail, tornado, flood, wind, winter

Questions

How many tornado events are on record for Emporia city?
NCEI has 3 tornado events on record for Emporia city from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026. 1 event has a rating of EF2 or F2, or a higher rating.
How large is the hail on record for Emporia city?
NCEI has 5 hail events on record from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026. 1 event has a hail size of 1.75 inches or more. NCEI names 1.75 inches a golf ball.
Which month has the most storm events on record for Emporia city?
June has 9 of the 60 storm events on record from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.
How many NFIP claims are there for each 1,000 policies in force in Emporia city?
FEMA counts 18 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The site gives a rate for each 1,000 policies only from 100 policies, because one claim changes a smaller rate too much.