Natural disaster risk in Wythe County, Virginia
Virginia · population 28,279 · FIPS 51197
Overall: relatively low risk
Wythe County has a composite risk score of 48.7 out of 100 — higher than 48% of US counties. It ranks 38 of 133 in Virginia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, strong wind, drought.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Wythe County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 2 weeks in a row.
Drought in Wythe 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 48.7 |
| Expected annual loss About $11.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 41.7 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 74.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 41.8 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Wythe County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 88 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 70 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 84 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 61 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 58 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 50 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 37 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 34 |
| Avalanche | Very low 48 |
| Hail | Very low 28 |
| Ice storm | Very low 26 |
| Wildfire | Very low 21 |
| Tornado | Very low 14 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Heat wave | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Wythe County
Federal declarations that designated Wythe County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Wythe 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 Wythe County, Virginia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Wythe County as relatively low, with a score of 48.7 out of 100 (higher than 48% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Wythe County?
The hazards rated highest for Wythe County are cold wave (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Wythe County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Wythe County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Wythe County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Wythe 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 Wythe County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Wythe County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 2 weeks in a row.
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