Natural hazards · Franklin

Franklin, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franklin comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 85 claims here since 1999. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Franklin?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Franklin to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes40%Inland flooding38%Tornadoes6%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Franklin faces

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

Hurricanes

40% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Franklin flood?

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

85paid claims since 1999

$5.3Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 18 claims, $1.3M
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $9K
Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Franklin is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: the county.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Franklin

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranklinDeclared for the county only

2018

Hurricane Florence

$13K to the City of Franklin for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$95K to the City of Franklin for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$282K to the City of Franklin for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

652 households applied for aid $468K aid approved $1.8M to the City of Franklin for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storms

$30K to the City of Franklin for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$3.8M to the City of Franklin for repairs

the county has had 11 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. Franklin covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Franklin. 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 Franklin total about $3.0M 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.