Natural hazards · Blackstone

Blackstone, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Blackstone comes from drought, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2021. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Blackstone?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Blackstone to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and hurricanes.

Drought44%Hurricanes19%Inland flooding17%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Blackstone faces

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

Drought

44% of expected damage

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Blackstone flood?

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

1paid claims since 2021

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20212026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Elsa: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Nottoway County.

Disasters that hit Blackstone

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BlackstoneDeclared for Nottoway County only

2025

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$34K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

$780K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2018

Tropical Storm Michael

$21K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$2K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$21K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

94 households applied for aid $28K aid approved $37K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storms

$15K to the Town of Blackstone for repairs

Nottoway County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Blackstone is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.

Blackstone, VA natural hazards

How exposed is Blackstone?

What Blackstone faces

Drought

Hurricanes

Inland flooding

Earthquakes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Blackstone flood?

Biggest named events

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

Severe Winter Storms

Tropical Storm Michael

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Isabel

Severe Winter Storms

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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