Natural hazards · Emporia

Emporia, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Emporia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Emporia?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Emporia to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding54%Hurricanes28%Tornadoes5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Emporia faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Emporia flood?

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

10paid claims since 1978

$34Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Michael: 1 claim, $6K
Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: the county.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Emporia

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmporiaDeclared for the county only

2011

Hurricane Irene

$191K to the City of Emporia for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

781 households applied for aid $428K aid approved $111K to the City of Emporia for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storms

$22K to the City of Emporia for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$44K to the City of Emporia for repairs

the county has had 13 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. Emporia covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Emporia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Emporia. 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 Emporia total about $2.6M 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.