Natural disaster risk in Washington County, Virginia
Virginia · population 53,894 · FIPS 51191
Overall: relatively low risk
Washington County has a composite risk score of 46.6 out of 100 — higher than 46% of US counties. It ranks 42 of 133 in Virginia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are landslide, strong wind, lightning.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 0.45% of Washington County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Washington County: 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 46.6 |
| Expected annual loss About $12.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 43.3 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 61 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 34.8 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Washington County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 94 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 57 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 72 |
| Avalanche | Relatively low 67 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 63 |
| Drought | Relatively low 53 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 52 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 47 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 38 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 30 |
| Hurricane | Very low 54 |
| Wildfire | Very low 33 |
| Hail | Very low 32 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Heat wave | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Washington County
Federal declarations that designated Washington County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Washington County has been named in 4 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-4863-VA | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | 4 Apr 2025 | No |
| DR-4831-VA | Major disaster | Tropical Storm Helene | 1 Oct 2024 | Yes |
| EM-3621-VA | Emergency | Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene | 29 Sep 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 Washington County, Virginia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Washington County as relatively low, with a score of 46.6 out of 100 (higher than 46% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Washington County?
The hazards rated highest for Washington County are landslide (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Washington County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Washington County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Washington County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Washington County has been named in 4 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3631-VA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 23 Jan 2026.
Is Washington County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 0.45% of Washington County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Every county in Virginia, ranked · All states · Disasters near me