Natural disaster risk in Roanoke City, Virginia
Virginia · population 99,966 · FIPS 51770
Overall: relatively low risk
Roanoke City has a composite risk score of 72.9 out of 100 — higher than 72% of US counties. It ranks 13 of 133 in Virginia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are strong wind, inland (riverine) flooding, lightning.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, at least 54 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 43.21% of Roanoke City is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Roanoke City: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 72.9 |
| Expected annual loss About $24.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 67 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 72.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 51 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Roanoke City, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively high 88 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 84 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 73 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 74 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 74 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 58 |
| Hail | Relatively low 47 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 36 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 33 |
| Landslide | Very low 62 |
| Heat wave | Very low 30 |
| Avalanche | Very low 18 |
| Wildfire | Very low 8 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Roanoke City
Federal declarations that designated Roanoke City, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Roanoke City has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3631-VA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 23 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3631-VA | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 23 Jan 2026 | No |
| DR-4831-VA | Major disaster | Tropical Storm Helene | 1 Oct 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Virginia, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
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). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Roanoke City, Virginia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Roanoke City as relatively low, with a score of 72.9 out of 100 (higher than 72% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Roanoke City?
The hazards rated highest for Roanoke City are strong wind (relatively high), inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Roanoke City?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Roanoke City as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Roanoke City had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Roanoke City has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3631-VA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 23 Jan 2026.
Is Roanoke City in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 43.21% of Roanoke City is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
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