Natural hazards · North Shore

North Shore, VA natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is North Shore?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in North Shore to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding89%Everything else12%

By hazard

What North Shore faces

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

Inland flooding

89% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 North Shore flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit North Shore

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into North ShoreDeclared for Franklin County only

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

Around North Shore

North Shore and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Shoremostly inland floodingHigh

Westlake Cornermostly inland floodingHigh

Union Hallmostly inland floodingHigh

Penhookmostly inland floodingHigh

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. North Shore covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to North Shore’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to North Shore. 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 North Shore total about $1.4M 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.