County Hazards

Storm events on record through

Falls Church 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 53 storm events on record for Falls Church city, Virginia, from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.

The newest event on record is a hail event on 15 Apr 2024.

FEMA has 16 disaster declarations on record for the county from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is EM-3631 of 23 Jan 2026.

OpenFEMA has 74 NFIP claims on record for the county from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026. The NFIP paid $472 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 Falls Church city. The site compares the agency data at each update. Updates of the data

The five hazards

Storm events on record for Falls Church city by hazard and period (NCEI, through 30 Jun 2026)
Hazard1950 to 20262000 to 20092010 to 20192020 to 2026Newest event
Hail8602
Tornado1000
Flood6140
Wind261444
Winter0000None on record
Other event types12Heat, cold, drought, wildfire, lightning, fog, tropical and other types
All storm events533286

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 Falls Church city beside the total of the counties of Virginia and of the United States
MeasureFalls Church cityAll counties of VirginiaAll counties of the United States
Storm events for each 100 square miles, 1950 to 20262,590.4136.849.3
Storm events for each 10,000 residents, 1950 to 202636.662.552.5
NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force, 2016 to 2025198.781.0185.3

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

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

At FALLS CHURCH

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

At FALLS CHURCH

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $25 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile ENE of FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind59 mph (51 knots, measured gust)

1 mile NNW of FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $5 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind70 mph (61 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile E of FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $15 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NNE of FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NE of FALLS CHURCH

Thunderstorm Wind66 mph (57 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Flash Flood

1 mile N of FALLS CHURCH

Flash Flood

At FALLS CHURCH

Flash Flood

At FALLS CHURCH

Flash Flood

1 mile NW of FALLS CHURCH

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $15 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $45 thousand

Hail0.75 in, penny size

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Hail0.75 in, penny size

At FALLS CHURCH

Hail0.88 in, nickel size

At FALLS CHURCH

Hail1.50 in, ping-pong ball size

At FALLS CHURCH

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $3 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $2 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

At FALLS CHURCH. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Hail0.88 in, nickel size

At FALLS CHURCH

Heavy Rain

At COUNTYWIDE

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 Falls Church 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
1950s00000000000
1960s00000000000
1970s00000000000
1980s00010000001
1990s00000000246
2000s1041753200032
2010s03300100018
2020s0301200 (part of the year)6

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 16 disaster declarations on record for Falls Church city from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is EM-3631: SEVERE WINTER STORM.

Disaster declarations that name Falls Church 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
DR-4262Major disasterSnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORMPublic
DR-4092Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE SANDYPublic
EM-3359EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE SANDYPublic
DR-4072Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDSPublic
DR-1905Major disasterSnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMSPublic
DR-1874Major disasterSnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORMPublic
EM-3240EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATIONPublic
DR-1491Major disasterHurricaneHURRICANE ISABELIndividual, Public
DR-1458Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE WINTER STORM, RECORD/NEAR RECORD SNOWFALL, HEAVY RAIN,FLOODIND, AND MUDSLIDEPublic
DR-1086Major disasterSnowstormBLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM)Public
EM-3112EmergencySnowstormSEVERE WINTER STORMPublic
DR-339Major disasterFloodTROPICAL STORM AGNESIndividual, Public

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 74 NFIP claims on record for Falls Church city from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026.

The NFIP paid $471,724 on 49 claims.

The county has 198.7 NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force. The rate uses 31 claims with a year of loss from 2016 to 2025. FEMA counts 156 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The claims have every type of building. FEMA counts residential policies only.

NFIP claims in Falls Church 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
1970s213
1980s00000000000
1990s00000020002
2000s010300403011
2010s12101130062255
2020s1001010 (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: 17 years
NFIP claims in Falls Church city by year of loss, with the amount paid (OpenFEMA, through 8 Sep 2026)
Year of lossClaimsClaims with a paymentAmount paid
20251not shownnot shown
20231not shownnot shown
20201not shownnot shown
20192216$210,293
201865$14,234
20153not shownnot shown
20141not shownnot shown
20131not shownnot shown
20112114$162,038
20101not shownnot shown
20083not shownnot shown
20064not shownnot shown
20033not shownnot shown
20011not shownnot shown
19962not shownnot shown
19791not 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 9 multiple-loss properties 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
1.6 of 100
Expected Annual Loss rating
Very Low
Expected Annual Loss
$3.1 million
Social Vulnerability rating
Very Low
Community Resilience rating
Very High
National Risk Index of Falls Church city by hazard type (FEMA, December 2025 release)
Hazard typeRisk Index ratingExpected Annual Loss
Cold waveVery Low$18,275
EarthquakeVery Low$142,101
HailVery Low$45,447
Heat waveVery Low$272,890
HurricaneVery Low$200,770
Ice stormVery Low$10,248
Inland floodingVery Low$1,444,331
LandslideVery Low$0
LightningRelatively Low$493,189
Strong windRelatively Low$279,659
TornadoVery Low$200,579
WildfireVery Low$100
Winter weatherVery Low$23,651

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 38 tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of the county, through the 2025 season. 1 of them was within 50 miles at hurricane strength.

Storm names, years and distances: 38 tracks
Tropical storm and hurricane tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of Falls Church city (NHC HURDAT2)
Storm nameYearNearest point of the trackHighest wind within 100 miles
Elsa202196 miles58 mph
Isaias202084 miles69 mph
Zeta202093 miles52 mph
Sandy201287 miles63 mph
Hanna200879 miles52 mph
Ernesto200626 miles46 mph
Isabel200395 miles58 mph
Bertha199671 miles69 mph
Danielle199284 miles46 mph
David197974 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm196371 miles46 mph
Connie195534 miles69 mph
Diane195550 miles46 mph
Hazel195491 miles81 mph
Able195243 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm194959 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm194541 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm194459 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm194341 miles52 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm193423 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm193313 miles63 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm192941 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm192881 miles52 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm192864 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm191531 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm190299 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189954 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189683 miles69 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189365 miles63 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189351 miles75 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189377 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm188874 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm188545 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm18788 miles92 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm187648 miles69 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm187490 miles58 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm187277 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm186389 miles58 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 Falls Church 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:

  • Falls Church

Official channels

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

Cite this page

County Hazards. "Falls Church city, Virginia: storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record". https://countyhazards.com/county/va/falls-church-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 Falls Church city?
NCEI has 1 tornado event on record for Falls Church 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 Falls Church city?
NCEI has 8 hail events on record from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026. No 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 Falls Church city?
June has 10 of the 53 storm events on record from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.
How many NFIP claims are there for each 1,000 policies in force in Falls Church city?
The county has 198.7 NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force. The rate uses 31 claims with a year of loss from 2016 to 2025. FEMA counts 156 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The claims have every type of building. FEMA counts residential policies only.