Virginia Natural Disaster Risk by County
Of Virginia's 133 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Fairfax County (score 94.7 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $2.0 billion a year.
OpenFEMA lists 75 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Virginia since 1957 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is EM-3631-VA, Severe Winter Storm, declared 23 January 2026.
Live weather alerts for Virginia Latest FEMA declarations All official warnings
Most exposed counties, hazard by hazard
Top 10 by FEMA hazard risk scoreHurricane 133 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accomack County | Relatively High | $13 million |
| 2 | Fairfax County | Relatively Moderate | $18 million |
| 3 | Norfolk City | Relatively Moderate | $13 million |
| 4 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Moderate | $14 million |
| 5 | Northampton County | Relatively Moderate | $4.7 million |
| 6 | Virginia Beach City | Relatively Moderate | $9.8 million |
| 7 | Newport News City | Relatively Moderate | $5.9 million |
| 8 | Suffolk City | Relatively Moderate | $6.7 million |
| 9 | Northumberland County | Relatively Moderate | $3.3 million |
| 10 | Portsmouth City | Relatively Moderate | $4.7 million |
Tornado 133 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henrico County | Relatively Moderate | $4.8 million |
| 2 | Chesterfield County | Relatively Moderate | $4.8 million |
| 3 | Prince William County | Relatively Moderate | $4.6 million |
| 4 | Loudoun County | Relatively Moderate | $4.8 million |
| 5 | Norfolk City | Relatively Moderate | $3.1 million |
| 6 | Newport News City | Relatively Moderate | $3.0 million |
| 7 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Moderate | $3.4 million |
| 8 | Richmond City | Relatively Moderate | $2.3 million |
| 9 | Virginia Beach City | Relatively Moderate | $3.5 million |
| 10 | Danville City | Relatively Low | $1.3 million |
Inland flooding 133 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | Relatively High | $155 million |
| 2 | Chesterfield County | Relatively Moderate | $53 million |
| 3 | Prince William County | Relatively Moderate | $45 million |
| 4 | Henrico County | Relatively Moderate | $31 million |
| 5 | Albemarle County | Relatively Moderate | $27 million |
| 6 | Rockingham County | Relatively Moderate | $26 million |
| 7 | Roanoke City | Relatively Moderate | $19 million |
| 8 | Loudoun County | Relatively Moderate | $37 million |
| 9 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Moderate | $29 million |
| 10 | Richmond City | Relatively Moderate | $22 million |
Coastal flooding 46 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accomack County | Very High | $11 million |
| 2 | Norfolk City | Relatively High | $3.0 million |
| 3 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Moderate | $2.9 million |
| 4 | Hampton City | Relatively Moderate | $2.3 million |
| 5 | Mathews County | Relatively Moderate | $1.6 million |
| 6 | Northumberland County | Relatively Moderate | $667,690 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach City | Relatively Moderate | $1.4 million |
| 8 | Gloucester County | Relatively Moderate | $996,203 |
| 9 | Westmoreland County | Relatively Moderate | $581,820 |
| 10 | Portsmouth City | Relatively Moderate | $734,490 |
Wildfire 133 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wise County | Relatively Low | $525,139 |
| 2 | Dickenson County | Relatively Low | $436,218 |
| 3 | Lee County | Relatively Low | $252,129 |
| 4 | Accomack County | Relatively Low | $276,355 |
| 5 | Augusta County | Relatively Low | $186,306 |
| 6 | Buchanan County | Relatively Low | $133,006 |
| 7 | Bedford County | Relatively Low | $141,229 |
| 8 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Low | $168,288 |
| 9 | Rockingham County | Relatively Low | $118,766 |
| 10 | Albemarle County | Relatively Low | $119,999 |
Earthquake 133 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henrico County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 2 | Fairfax County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 3 | Richmond City | Relatively Moderate | $8.2 million |
| 4 | Chesterfield County | Relatively Low | $7.2 million |
| 5 | Albemarle County | Relatively Low | $3.1 million |
| 6 | Hanover County | Relatively Low | $4.0 million |
| 7 | Prince William County | Relatively Low | $2.4 million |
| 8 | Alexandria City | Relatively Low | $2.0 million |
| 9 | Norfolk City | Relatively Low | $1.4 million |
| 10 | Loudoun County | Relatively Low | $2.2 million |
Every Virginia county, highest overall risk first
133| # | County | Overall risk | Score | Loss a year | Top hazard | Declarations | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | Relatively High | 94.7 | $219 million | Winter weather | 17 | 20 |
| 2 | Chesterfield County | Relatively Moderate | 84.8 | $79 million | Earthquake | 23 | 20 |
| 3 | Henrico County | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $58 million | Earthquake | 20 | 12 |
| 4 | Prince William County | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $69 million | Heat wave | 18 | 14 |
| 5 | Norfolk City | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $46 million | Hurricane | 16 | 13 |
| 6 | Accomack County | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $31 million | Coastal flooding | 18 | 9 |
| 7 | Chesapeake City | Relatively Low | 80.9 | $56 million | Hurricane | 16 | 13 |
| 8 | Richmond City | Relatively Low | 78.4 | $39 million | Earthquake | 18 | 14 |
| 9 | Loudoun County | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $61 million | Heat wave | 14 | 25 |
| 10 | Albemarle County | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $40 million | Strong wind | 23 | 11 |
| 11 | Rockingham County | Relatively Low | 75.0 | $35 million | Landslide | 19 | 10 |
| 12 | Alexandria City | Relatively Low | 73.7 | $40 million | Strong wind | 20 | 1 |
| 13 | Roanoke City | Relatively Low | 72.9 | $25 million | Strong wind | 17 | 2 |
| 14 | Newport News City | Relatively Low | 72.2 | $32 million | Hurricane | 19 | 8 |
| 15 | Augusta County | Relatively Low | 68.6 | $25 million | Landslide | 22 | 13 |
| 16 | Danville City | Relatively Low | 68.0 | $18 million | Inland flooding | 16 | 2 |
| 17 | Arlington County | Relatively Low | 66.8 | $38 million | Heat wave | 19 | 1 |
| 18 | Stafford County | Relatively Low | 65.0 | $35 million | Strong wind | 18 | 17 |
| 19 | Pittsylvania County | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $17 million | Hurricane | 25 | 22 |
| 20 | Henry County | Relatively Low | 63.6 | $15 million | Landslide | 14 | 7 |
| 21 | Hampton City | Relatively Low | 61.7 | $23 million | Hurricane | 19 | 7 |
| 22 | Tazewell County | Relatively Low | 60.2 | $15 million | Landslide | 23 | 0 |
| 23 | Suffolk City | Relatively Low | 60.1 | $25 million | Drought | 17 | 21 |
| 24 | Shenandoah County | Relatively Low | 59.8 | $19 million | Landslide | 22 | 5 |
| 25 | Virginia Beach City | Relatively Low | 57.9 | $31 million | Heat wave | 16 | 16 |
| 26 | Smyth County | Relatively Low | 57.8 | $15 million | Cold wave | 19 | 7 |
| 27 | Lee County | Relatively Low | 57.3 | $11 million | Landslide | 18 | 8 |
| 28 | Mecklenburg County | Relatively Low | 54.3 | $13 million | Drought | 18 | 11 |
| 29 | Portsmouth City | Relatively Low | 54.0 | $18 million | Hurricane | 16 | 5 |
| 30 | Hanover County | Relatively Low | 53.5 | $29 million | Drought | 20 | 17 |
| 31 | James City County | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $22 million | Drought | 16 | 8 |
| 32 | Spotsylvania County | Relatively Low | 52.9 | $25 million | Lightning | 17 | 13 |
| 33 | Roanoke County | Relatively Low | 52.2 | $20 million | Landslide | 21 | 3 |
| 34 | Bedford County | Relatively Low | 51.2 | $18 million | Hurricane | 28 | 12 |
| 35 | Buchanan County | Relatively Low | 50.6 | $11 million | Landslide | 25 | 1 |
| 36 | Wise County | Relatively Low | 50.4 | $13 million | Landslide | 17 | 3 |
| 37 | Lynchburg City | Relatively Low | 49.3 | $15 million | Strong wind | 15 | 1 |
| 38 | Wythe County | Relatively Low | 48.7 | $12 million | Cold wave | 16 | 0 |
| 39 | Fauquier County | Relatively Low | 47.7 | $22 million | Lightning | 19 | 28 |
| 40 | Montgomery County | Relatively Low | 47.5 | $17 million | Landslide | 22 | 5 |
| 41 | Halifax County | Relatively Low | 47.0 | $8.9 million | Drought | 22 | 17 |
| 42 | Washington County | Relatively Low | 46.6 | $12 million | Landslide | 18 | 12 |
| 43 | Culpeper County | Relatively Low | 46.2 | $15 million | Drought | 21 | 10 |
| 44 | Pulaski County | Relatively Low | 45.9 | $11 million | Landslide | 20 | 4 |
| 45 | Carroll County | Relatively Low | 45.1 | $9.9 million | Landslide | 15 | 6 |
| 46 | York County | Relatively Low | 44.7 | $24 million | Hurricane | 17 | 9 |
| 47 | Frederick County | Relatively Low | 44.7 | $20 million | Landslide | 17 | 10 |
| 48 | Northampton County | Relatively Low | 44.5 | $9.4 million | Drought | 20 | 8 |
| 49 | Franklin County | Very Low | 42.7 | $11 million | Landslide | 20 | 5 |
| 50 | Scott County | Very Low | 42.0 | $8.4 million | Landslide | 18 | 4 |
| 51 | Northumberland County | Very Low | 40.0 | $8.5 million | Drought | 23 | 11 |
| 52 | Alleghany County | Very Low | 38.1 | $11 million | Strong wind | 18 | 0 |
| 53 | Isle of Wight County | Very Low | 37.9 | $15 million | Drought | 18 | 16 |
| 54 | Page County | Very Low | 37.9 | $9.6 million | Hurricane | 22 | 4 |
| 55 | Westmoreland County | Very Low | 37.4 | $9.1 million | Hurricane | 23 | 7 |
| 56 | Russell County | Very Low | 36.5 | $8.8 million | Landslide | 19 | 6 |
| 57 | Nelson County | Very Low | 34.1 | $8.9 million | Landslide | 26 | 3 |
| 58 | Rockbridge County | Very Low | 33.3 | $9.1 million | Landslide | 21 | 3 |
| 59 | Prince Edward County | Very Low | 32.4 | $7.1 million | Drought | 20 | 2 |
| 60 | Lancaster County | Very Low | 32.3 | $7.5 million | Drought | 23 | 10 |
| 61 | Louisa County | Very Low | 32.2 | $10 million | Hurricane | 23 | 15 |
| 62 | Campbell County | Very Low | 32.0 | $9.1 million | Lightning | 22 | 11 |
| 63 | Warren County | Very Low | 31.6 | $13 million | Landslide | 21 | 4 |
| 64 | Southampton County | Very Low | 29.8 | $9.1 million | Drought | 11 | 17 |
| 65 | Nottoway County | Very Low | 29.0 | $6.2 million | Drought | 20 | 14 |
| 66 | Brunswick County | Very Low | 28.1 | $7.1 million | Drought | 17 | 13 |
| 67 | Harrisonburg City | Very Low | 26.6 | $9.0 million | Hurricane | 12 | 0 |
| 68 | Orange County | Very Low | 25.6 | $11 million | Drought | 20 | 14 |
| 69 | Grayson County | Very Low | 24.7 | $5.9 million | Landslide | 19 | 4 |
| 70 | Charlottesville City | Very Low | 24.3 | $10 million | Strong wind | 11 | 1 |
| 71 | Middlesex County | Very Low | 23.8 | $5.9 million | Hurricane | 22 | 11 |
| 72 | Gloucester County | Very Low | 22.6 | $9.0 million | Hurricane | 16 | 17 |
| 73 | Powhatan County | Very Low | 21.1 | $9.6 million | Drought | 22 | 5 |
| 74 | Amherst County | Very Low | 21.0 | $6.5 million | Hurricane | 21 | 4 |
| 75 | Patrick County | Very Low | 20.9 | $6.4 million | Landslide | 17 | 4 |
| 76 | Caroline County | Very Low | 20.7 | $8.3 million | Hurricane | 22 | 15 |
| 77 | Lunenburg County | Very Low | 19.8 | $4.1 million | Drought | 21 | 5 |
| 78 | Cumberland County | Very Low | 19.7 | $5.1 million | Drought | 21 | 3 |
| 79 | Dinwiddie County | Very Low | 19.3 | $7.2 million | Drought | 20 | 13 |
| 80 | Buckingham County | Very Low | 19.0 | $4.8 million | Drought | 21 | 5 |
| 81 | Salem City | Very Low | 18.6 | $9.0 million | Hurricane | 12 | 1 |
| 82 | Essex County | Very Low | 18.6 | $5.4 million | Drought | 25 | 3 |
| 83 | Botetourt County | Very Low | 18.1 | $9.0 million | Landslide | 22 | 3 |
| 84 | Dickenson County | Very Low | 17.9 | $5.0 million | Landslide | 19 | 2 |
| 85 | Greensville County | Very Low | 17.8 | $4.2 million | Drought | 15 | 7 |
| 86 | Charlotte County | Very Low | 17.4 | $4.1 million | Drought | 20 | 8 |
| 87 | Hopewell City | Very Low | 17.2 | $4.4 million | Hurricane | 14 | 2 |
| 88 | Petersburg City | Very Low | 17.0 | $5.4 million | Hurricane | 15 | 5 |
| 89 | Winchester City | Very Low | 16.9 | $6.1 million | Hurricane | 12 | 0 |
| 90 | Manassas City | Very Low | 16.6 | $7.5 million | Hurricane | 13 | 1 |
| 91 | Giles County | Very Low | 16.6 | $5.4 million | Landslide | 20 | 0 |
| 92 | King and Queen County | Very Low | 16.2 | $4.4 million | Drought | 23 | 8 |
| 93 | Goochland County | Very Low | 15.5 | $8.0 million | Earthquake | 19 | 11 |
| 94 | New Kent County | Very Low | 14.1 | $7.3 million | Drought | 20 | 8 |
| 95 | Prince George County | Very Low | 13.9 | $8.1 million | Drought | 17 | 10 |
| 96 | Fluvanna County | Very Low | 13.5 | $6.2 million | Hurricane | 21 | 10 |
| 97 | Sussex County | Very Low | 13.2 | $4.1 million | Drought | 16 | 10 |
| 98 | Bland County | Very Low | 13.0 | $5.0 million | Landslide | 16 | 0 |
| 99 | King George County | Very Low | 12.8 | $8.2 million | Hurricane | 25 | 8 |
| 100 | Mathews County | Very Low | 12.2 | $4.0 million | Coastal flooding | 18 | 6 |
| 101 | Amelia County | Very Low | 12.0 | $5.1 million | Drought | 20 | 11 |
| 102 | Staunton City | Very Low | 10.6 | $5.3 million | Hurricane | 12 | 0 |
| 103 | Richmond County | Very Low | 10.4 | $3.9 million | Drought | 22 | 10 |
| 104 | Waynesboro City | Very Low | 10.3 | $6.2 million | Hurricane | 13 | 1 |
| 105 | Covington City | Very Low | 9.7 | $4.7 million | Strong wind | 13 | 0 |
| 106 | Martinsville City | Very Low | 9.6 | $3.4 million | Earthquake | 11 | 0 |
| 107 | Greene County | Very Low | 9.3 | $4.7 million | Hurricane | 24 | 5 |
| 108 | Charles City County | Very Low | 9.3 | $3.4 million | Drought | 17 | 2 |
| 109 | Fredericksburg City | Very Low | 8.7 | $6.8 million | Lightning | 17 | 2 |
| 110 | Bristol City | Very Low | 8.6 | $2.9 million | Earthquake | 11 | 0 |
| 111 | Madison County | Very Low | 8.4 | $4.6 million | Hurricane | 22 | 9 |
| 112 | King William County | Very Low | 8.3 | $6.3 million | Drought | 22 | 8 |
| 113 | Franklin City | Very Low | 7.5 | $3.0 million | Hurricane | 12 | 2 |
| 114 | Clarke County | Very Low | 6.9 | $5.6 million | Drought | 18 | 10 |
| 115 | Rappahannock County | Very Low | 6.9 | $3.4 million | Drought | 23 | 4 |
| 116 | Galax City | Very Low | 6.8 | $2.8 million | Cold wave | 14 | 0 |
| 117 | Floyd County | Very Low | 6.6 | $3.8 million | Landslide | 20 | 2 |
| 118 | Craig County | Very Low | 6.2 | $2.8 million | Landslide | 24 | 1 |
| 119 | Colonial Heights City | Very Low | 6.0 | $4.3 million | Hurricane | 13 | 1 |
| 120 | Bath County | Very Low | 5.4 | $2.9 million | Landslide | 20 | 0 |
| 121 | Fairfax City | Very Low | 5.3 | $4.8 million | Hurricane | 15 | 0 |
| 122 | Appomattox County | Very Low | 5.1 | $3.2 million | Hurricane | 24 | 3 |
| 123 | Emporia City | Very Low | 5.0 | $2.6 million | Hurricane | 13 | 3 |
| 124 | Manassas Park City | Very Low | 4.9 | $3.3 million | Hurricane | 12 | 0 |
| 125 | Surry County | Very Low | 4.7 | $2.8 million | Drought | 19 | 9 |
| 126 | Lexington City | Very Low | 3.7 | $2.2 million | Hurricane | 12 | 0 |
| 127 | Buena Vista City | Very Low | 3.3 | $2.4 million | Hurricane | 18 | 0 |
| 128 | Radford City | Very Low | 2.6 | $2.6 million | Earthquake | 15 | 0 |
| 129 | Highland County | Very Low | 2.5 | $2.2 million | Landslide | 20 | 1 |
| 130 | Poquoson City | Very Low | 2.4 | $4.4 million | Coastal flooding | 16 | 0 |
| 131 | Williamsburg City | Very Low | 2.4 | $3.6 million | Hurricane | 14 | 0 |
| 132 | Falls Church City | Very Low | 1.6 | $3.1 million | Hurricane | 14 | 1 |
| 133 | Norton City | Very Low | 1.6 | $1.1 million | Landslide | 13 | 1 |
Score: FEMA's national percentile (higher = more risk). Declarations: federal declarations that named the county since 1953, not counting COVID-19. Tornadoes: NOAA SPC tornadoes that touched the county, 1950–2025.
Latest federal declarations in Virginia
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What this page shows, and what it misses
FEMA's National Risk Index compares every US county with every other for 18 natural hazards, combining expected losses with social vulnerability and community resilience. It is a planning-level estimate for nationwide comparison, not a flood-zone map and not the risk to any one property — for flood zones use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center ↗. Federal declarations exclude state declarations and SBA or USDA designations.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties - v1.20.0 (December 2025). Retrieved from https://services.arcgis.com/XG15cJAlne2vxtgt/ArcGIS/rest/services/National_Risk_Index_Counties/FeatureServer/0/query on November 2, 2026, 1:20 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2, retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries on November 2, 2026, 1:21 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Tornado records: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database, tornadoes 1950–2025 (https://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/data/1950-2025_actual_tornadoes.csv, downloaded 2 November 2026). Public domain; not endorsed by NOAA. Compiled by Global Incident Tracker.
Questions about Virginia
Which county in Virginia has the highest natural disaster risk?
Of Virginia's 133 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Fairfax County (score 94.7 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $2.0 billion a year.
Which Virginia counties are most at risk from tornadoes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index tornado risk score: Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Prince William County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
Which Virginia counties are most at risk from hurricanes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index hurricane risk score: Accomack County, Fairfax County, Norfolk City. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Virginia had?
OpenFEMA lists 75 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Virginia since 1957 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is EM-3631-VA, Severe Winter Storm, declared 23 January 2026.