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Galax city, Virginia
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Galax city, Virginia, has 74 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them floods and flash floods.
That is 898.5 events per 100 square miles, above the Virginia figure of 146.4, and 111.1 per 10,000 residents against 66.9 statewide.
3 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 0 deaths and 0 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $2.6M.
FEMA has designated the county in 16 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm (emergency, 23 Jan 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 2 claims since 1978, of which 2 were paid, totalling $3K (about $2K per paid claim).
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($2.8M a year across 18 hazards).
16 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Virginia and the United States
| Measure | Galax city | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 74 | 57,789 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 898.5 | 146.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 111.1 | 66.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 3 | 1,941 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 0 | 239 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $2.6M | $2.7B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $2K | $19K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | — | 4.3 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 62 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 11 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $455K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jan 2026 | EM-3631 | Emergency | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 1 Oct 2024 | DR-4831 | Major disaster | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Sep 2024 | EM-3621 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene | Public assistance |
| 2 Apr 2020 | DR-4512 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3448 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 18 Dec 2018 | DR-4411 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael | Public assistance |
| 11 Sep 2018 | EM-3403 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence | Public assistance |
| 29 Oct 2012 | EM-3359 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 16 Feb 2010 | DR-1874 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 13 Jul 2006 | DR-1655 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2005 | EM-3240 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 9 Dec 2003 | DR-1502 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 13 Jan 1996 | DR-1086 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Public assistance |
| 10 Mar 1994 | DR-1014 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Ice Storms, Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 1993 | EM-3112 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 23 Jun 1972 | DR-339 | Major disaster | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 2 | 2 | $3,227 | $1,614 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $1,232,355 | |
| Cold wave | $1,108,268 | |
| Strong wind | $126,974 | |
| Tornado | $89,853 | |
| Earthquake | $80,448 | |
| Hurricane | $38,503 | |
| Lightning | $30,213 | |
| Ice storm | $25,492 | |
| Hail | $18,409 | |
| Winter weather | $8,129 | |
| Wildfire | $7,333 | |
| Landslide | $437 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael | 2018 | 90 mi | 52 mph |
| Hugo | 1989 | 69 mi | 63 mph |
| David | 1979 | 56 mi | 46 mph |
| Gracie | 1959 | 60 mi | 40 mph |
| Able | 1952 | 56 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1949 | 25 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1934 | 96 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1932 | 66 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1915 | 82 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1907 | 70 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1902 | 29 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1893 | 73 mi | 75 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1886 | 93 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1882 | 95 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1878 | 63 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1859 | 90 mi | 46 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Galax city, VA?
NCEI records 24 hail events in Galax city since 1950, in 14 different years; that is about 0.3 recorded events a year. 0 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Galax city had a tornado?
NCEI records no tornado in Galax city since 1950.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Galax city?
23 Jan 2026: Severe Winter Storm, a emergency declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 16 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Galax city, and how much was paid?
2 NFIP claims since 1978, 2 of them paid, for $3K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Galax city in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Galax city compare with the rest of Virginia?
898.5 recorded events per 100 square miles against 146.4 statewide, and 0.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 5.9. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.