Natural hazards · Merrimac

Merrimac, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Merrimac comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Merrimac?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Merrimac to be higher than in 0% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding47%Cold waves23%Earthquakes13%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Merrimac faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Merrimac flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Merrimac.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.

Disasters that hit Merrimac

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into MerrimacDeclared for Montgomery County only

Montgomery County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Merrimac

Merrimac and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Christiansburgmostly inland floodingVery low

Merrimacmostly inland floodingVery low

Blacksburgmostly 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. Merrimac covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Merrimac’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Merrimac. 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 Merrimac total about $284K 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.