County: Shenandoah
ZIP Codes: 22657
Strasburg, Virginia, is somewhat sheltered from direct hurricane strikes given its approximately 200 miles inland location from the eastern seacoast, and its elevation at about 705 feet. However, this doesn't make it immune to the effects of these storms. The most significant threat to Strasburg from hurricanes is heavy rainfall leading to flooding, particularly because this area is part of the Shenandoah River watershed. As such, Strasburg is susceptible to riverine and flash flooding from extreme rainfall events, especially where the local topography favors water collection. Regarding historical weather events, Strasburg experienced significant flooding during the remnants of Hurricane Fran in 1996 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004. These periods of intense rainfall caused the Shenandoah River and other local waterways to overflow, resulting in substantial flood damage to homes and infrastructure. Future hurricane threats should not be taken lightly and are expected due to climate change which can potentially impact the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. Residents and municipal leaders should prioritize making plans and preparations for evacuations, flood response and recovery, and property protection well in advance of any potential storm threats.