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Natural hazards · Marion

Marion, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Marion comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Marion?

24
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Marion to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves53%Inland flooding35%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Marion faces

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

Cold waves

53% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Marion flood?

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

16paid claims since 1978
$101Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Helene: 2 claims, $78K
  • Heavy rains: 1 claim, $2K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Marion isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Smyth County.
Disasters that hit Marion

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarionDeclared for Smyth County only
2024

Tropical Storm Helene

740 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $73K to the Town of Marion for repairs
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$9K to the Town of Marion for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

21 households applied for aid $29K aid approved
2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Marion for repairs
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Marion for repairs
Smyth County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms 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. Marion 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 Marion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Marion. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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