Natural hazards · Bensley

Bensley, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bensley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bensley?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bensley to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Earthquakes14%Tornadoes9%Hurricanes8%Heat waves8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Bensley faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bensley flood?

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

4paid claims since 1991

$78Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chesterfield County.

Disasters that hit Bensley

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Chesterfield County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bensley itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into BensleyDeclared for Chesterfield County only

Chesterfield County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Bensley

Bensley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Meadowbrookmostly inland floodingLow

Richmondmostly inland floodingVery low

Bensleymostly inland floodingVery low

Bellwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Bensley covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bensley’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Bensley. 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 Bensley total about $612K 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.