Natural hazards · Sandston

Sandston, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sandston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2018. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sandston?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sandston to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding42%Earthquakes26%Hurricanes10%Tornadoes9%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Sandston faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Sandston flood?

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

1paid claims since 2018

$96Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20182026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Henrico County.

Disasters that hit Sandston

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SandstonDeclared for Henrico County only

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston

15 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

306 households applied for aid $77K aid approved

Henrico County has had 19 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. Sandston covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sandston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Sandston. 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 Sandston 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.