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Natural hazards · Richlands

Richlands, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Richlands comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 125 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Richlands?

71
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Richlands to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Cold waves10%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Richlands faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Richlands flood?

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

125paid claims since 1978
$2.8Mpaid to owners
18homes flooded more than once
19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Richlands isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tazewell County.
Disasters that hit Richlands

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RichlandsDeclared for Tazewell County only
2025

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$360K to the Town of Richlands for repairs
2024

Tropical Storm Helene

129 households applied for aid $161K aid approved $106K to the Town of Richlands for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$69K to the Town of Richlands for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

137 households applied for aid $271K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

79 households applied for aid $160K aid approved
2003

Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,floodind, and Mudslide

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$12K to the Town of Richlands for repairs
Tazewell County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Richlands

Richlands and the towns around it

Raven: Very high, mostly inland floodingDoran: Very high, mostly inland floodingCedar Bluff: High, mostly inland floodingClaypool Hill: High, mostly inland floodingRichlands: High, mostly inland flooding RichlandsRavenDoranCedar Bluff
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ravenmostly inland floodingVery high
Doranmostly inland floodingVery high
Cedar Bluffmostly inland floodingHigh
Richlandsmostly 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. Richlands 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 Richlands’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Richlands. 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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