Natural hazards · Virginia

Virginia, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Virginia comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Virginia?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Virginia to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves42%Inland flooding21%Drought12%Strong wind8%Heat waves6%Tornadoes6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Virginia faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Cold waves

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

12% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Virginia flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Virginia, from FEMA’s records.

3paid claims since 1979

$11Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Virginia isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cass County.

Disasters that hit Virginia

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Virginia itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Virginia.

Brought FEMA money into VirginiaDeclared for Cass County only

1999

Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99

$3K to the Township of Virginia for repairs

Cass County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Virginia

Virginia and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sangamon Valleymostly cold wavesHigh

Virginiamostly cold wavesHigh

Arenzvillemostly cold wavesHigh

Philadelphiamostly cold wavesHigh

Panther Creekmostly cold wavesHigh

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Virginia covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Virginia’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Virginia. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Virginia total about $2.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.