Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lexington, VA

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lexington, VA, 2 miles southeast of Lexington at 1,097 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 23°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 43.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 43.0 inches is more than at 20 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (18%). Clifton Forge, 18 miles west, has its own station (Covington Fltr Plt, VA): 39.4 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 87°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 172 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lexington: 134 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 flash floods, 11 heavy rain events, 8 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 28, 2005. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 18. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 162 have had fewer than Lexington.

Flood insurance policyholders in Lexington's ZIP code 24450 have filed 113 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 17 claims (15% of all) and $259,000. The year with the most claims was 1995, with 29. 25% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 140 have fewer than Lexington.