Natural hazards · Sugar Grove

Sugar Grove, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sugar Grove comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2002. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sugar Grove?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sugar Grove to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding56%Cold waves33%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Sugar Grove faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times 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 Sugar Grove flood?

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

10paid claims since 2002

$279Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 7 claims, $253K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Sugar Grove 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 Sugar Grove

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sugar GroveDeclared for Smyth County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

169 households applied for aid $589K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $841 aid approved

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. Sugar Grove covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sugar Grove’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Sugar Grove. 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 Sugar Grove total about $1.5M 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.