Natural hazards · Waverly

Waverly, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waverly comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2003. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waverly?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waverly to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding42%Drought16%Hurricanes13%Tornadoes6%Earthquakes5%Strong wind5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Waverly 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 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Drought

16% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 37 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Waverly flood?

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

2paid claims since 2003

$22Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20032026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sussex County.

Disasters that hit Waverly

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaverlyDeclared for Sussex County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

$35K to the Town of Waverly for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

304 households applied for aid $127K aid approved $59K to the Town of Waverly for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$18K to the Town of Waverly for repairs

Sussex County has had 14 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. Waverly covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waverly’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Waverly. 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 Waverly total about $674K 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.