How Likely Is a Tornado in Madison County, VA?
How likely is a tornado in Madison County, VA?
Madison County has recorded 9 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 8.5 years - our Low band. Put another way: Madison County sees more tornado activity than 26% of US counties. Within Virginia alone, Madison County ranks 47 of 133 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
6 weak and 3 significant tornadoes make up Madison County's 9-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Madison County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Virginia has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Virginia this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
14,252 people live in Madison County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Virginia than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Madison County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 321 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Madison County has about 14,252 residents.