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Virginia natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 133 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

56major disasters since 1953 (23th most)

$2Bexpected losses a year

3%of homes with flood insurance

Photo: 1879515Starwars1, CC0

Virginia has had 56 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $2 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 113 of its 133 counties, followed by hurricane in 9. None is rated Very High overall. About 3% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $763 million on 50,040 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties

High1counties

Moderate5counties

Low42counties

Highest overall risk

1Fairfax CountyHigh

2Chesterfield CountyModerate

3Henrico CountyModerate

4Prince William CountyModerate

5Norfolk CityModerate

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Harrisonburg CityVery Low

2Campbell CountyVery Low

3Franklin CountyVery Low

4Frederick CountyLow

5York CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 113 counties

Hurricanetop risk in 9 counties

Droughttop risk in 8 counties

Largest counties

Fairfax County

1,148,223 people

High Inland flooding

Prince William County

481,359 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Virginia Beach City

458,853 people

Low Hurricane

Loudoun County

418,601 people

Low Inland flooding

Chesterfield County

364,108 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Henrico County

334,329 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Chesapeake City

249,270 people

Low Inland flooding

Arlington County

238,619 people

Low Inland flooding

Norfolk City

237,884 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Richmond City

226,269 people

Low Inland flooding

Newport News City

186,209 people

Low Inland flooding

Alexandria City

159,467 people

Low Inland flooding

Cities in Virginia

All 46 cities ›

Virginia Beach456,349 Chesapeake252,583 Arlington236,254 Norfolk233,596 Richmond229,359 Newport News184,216 Alexandria156,976 Hampton137,557 Suffolk98,796 Roanoke98,355 Portsmouth97,190 Lynchburg79,497 Centreville71,706 Dale City71,016 Reston64,414

All 133 counties

Name	People	Overall risk	Top hazard	Declarations	Homes insured
Accomack County	33,367	Moderate	Hurricane	18	13.4%
Albemarle County	112,239	Low	Inland flooding	23	0.4%
Alexandria City	159,467	Low	Inland flooding	20	2.4%
Alleghany County	15,205	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	1.5%
Amelia County	13,265	Very Low	Drought	20	0.1%
Amherst County	31,300	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.3%
Appomattox County	16,119	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.1%
Arlington County	238,619	Low	Inland flooding	18	1.9%
Augusta County	77,457	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.5%
Bath County	4,209	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.7%
Bedford County	79,441	Low	Inland flooding	26	0.3%
Bland County	6,270	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	1.1%
Botetourt County	33,548	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.9%
Bristol City	17,217	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	0.2%
Brunswick County	15,846	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Buchanan County	20,340	Low	Inland flooding	25	1.5%
Buckingham County	16,804	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.1%
Buena Vista City	6,641	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.8%
Campbell County	55,696	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.1%
Caroline County	30,855	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.4%
Carroll County	29,155	Low	Cold wave	15	0.2%
Charles City County	6,773	Very Low	Drought	17	0.5%
Charlotte County	11,522	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0%
Charlottesville City	46,443	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	0.5%
Chesapeake City	249,270	Low	Inland flooding	16	8.3%
Chesterfield County	364,108	Moderate	Inland flooding	23	0.5%
Clarke County	14,780	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.8%
Colonial Heights City	18,163	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	0.7%
Covington City	5,737	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	2%
Craig County	4,883	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	1.3%
Culpeper County	52,534	Low	Inland flooding	21	0.2%
Cumberland County	9,675	Very Low	Drought	21	0.2%
Danville City	42,567	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.2%
Dickenson County	14,122	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.3%
Dinwiddie County	27,925	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.2%
Emporia City	5,749	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	0.9%
Essex County	10,595	Very Low	Drought	25	2.9%
Fairfax City	24,146	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	1.9%
Fairfax County	1,148,223	High	Inland flooding	17	1.1%
Falls Church City	14,658	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	4.9%
Fauquier County	72,947	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.4%
Floyd County	15,470	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.2%
Fluvanna County	27,249	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.3%
Franklin City	8,180	Very Low	Hurricane	12	0.8%
Franklin County	54,455	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.3%
Frederick County	91,336	Low	Inland flooding	17	0.3%
Fredericksburg City	27,967	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	1.1%
Galax City	6,720	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0%
Giles County	16,775	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	1.1%
Gloucester County	38,711	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	8%
Goochland County	24,727	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.4%
Grayson County	15,333	Very Low	Cold wave	19	0.2%
Greene County	20,552	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.6%
Greensville County	11,379	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.2%
Halifax County	34,002	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.1%
Hampton City	137,063	Low	Inland flooding	19	17.8%
Hanover County	109,963	Low	Inland flooding	20	0.4%
Harrisonburg City	51,814	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.5%
Henrico County	334,329	Moderate	Inland flooding	20	1.1%
Henry County	50,948	Low	Inland flooding	14	0.2%
Highland County	2,232	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.8%
Hopewell City	22,982	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0.2%
Isle of Wight County	38,586	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	1.5%
James City County	78,221	Low	Inland flooding	16	2.8%
King and Queen County	6,602	Very Low	Drought	23	1%
King George County	26,676	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.5%
King William County	17,810	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.9%
Lancaster County	10,919	Very Low	Hurricane	23	6.1%
Lee County	22,166	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.3%
Lexington City	7,320	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.5%
Loudoun County	418,601	Low	Inland flooding	14	0.9%
Louisa County	37,590	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0%
Lunenburg County	11,930	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.1%
Lynchburg City	78,993	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.2%
Madison County	13,837	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.6%
Manassas City	42,763	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	0.4%
Manassas Park City	17,219	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.3%
Martinsville City	13,485	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	0%
Mathews County	8,533	Very Low	Coastal flooding	18	20.2%
Mecklenburg County	30,027	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.3%
Middlesex County	10,607	Very Low	Hurricane	22	4%
Montgomery County	99,701	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.5%
Nelson County	14,738	Very Low	Inland flooding	26	0.4%
New Kent County	22,940	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	1.1%
Newport News City	186,209	Low	Inland flooding	19	2.8%
Norfolk City	237,884	Moderate	Inland flooding	16	14.1%
Northampton County	12,215	Low	Hurricane	20	5.1%
Northumberland County	11,831	Very Low	Hurricane	23	6.2%
Norton City	3,687	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	1.9%
Nottoway County	15,638	Very Low	Drought	20	0.1%
Orange County	36,205	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.5%
Page County	23,698	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.9%
Patrick County	17,604	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Petersburg City	33,446	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.9%
Pittsylvania County	60,500	Low	Inland flooding	25	0.1%
Poquoson City	12,460	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	62.9%
Portsmouth City	97,881	Low	Inland flooding	16	9.6%
Powhatan County	30,304	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.4%
Prince Edward County	21,274	Very Low	Drought	20	0.2%
Prince George County	42,930	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.6%
Prince William County	481,359	Moderate	Inland flooding	18	1.3%
Pulaski County	33,795	Low	Inland flooding	20	0.5%
Radford City	16,070	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.4%
Rappahannock County	7,327	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0.8%
Richmond City	226,269	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.6%
Richmond County	8,918	Very Low	Hurricane	22	1.5%
Roanoke City	99,966	Low	Inland flooding	17	0.7%
Roanoke County	96,902	Low	Inland flooding	21	0.7%
Rockbridge County	22,631	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.9%
Rockingham County	83,694	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.7%
Russell County	25,778	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.4%
Salem City	25,346	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	1.5%
Scott County	21,551	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.5%
Shenandoah County	44,182	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.5%
Smyth County	29,780	Low	Inland flooding	19	1%
Southampton County	17,985	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	1.7%
Spotsylvania County	139,768	Low	Inland flooding	17	0.8%
Stafford County	156,513	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.8%
Staunton City	25,738	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.7%
Suffolk City	94,179	Low	Inland flooding	17	2.5%
Surry County	6,561	Very Low	Drought	19	1%
Sussex County	10,829	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	0.8%
Tazewell County	40,399	Low	Inland flooding	23	0.7%
Virginia Beach City	458,853	Low	Hurricane	16	12.1%
Warren County	40,715	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.9%
Washington County	53,894	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.5%
Waynesboro City	22,195	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	1.1%
Westmoreland County	18,477	Very Low	Hurricane	23	2.3%
Williamsburg City	15,425	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0.9%
Winchester City	28,110	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.9%
Wise County	36,104	Low	Inland flooding	17	1.1%
Wythe County	28,279	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.7%
York County	70,026	Low	Inland flooding	17	11%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.