FEMA Records
6
Total declarations
Virginia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Buchanan County, VA
6 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 51
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Buchanan County ranks in the riskiest 49% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 80% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 6 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2022, most often severe storm, 56% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 49%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 6
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Buchanan County compare?
Buchanan County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
6 Top 20% higher than 80% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Buchanan County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Virginia county average
How disaster-prone is Buchanan County?
Declaration frequency
Buchanan County, Virginia has recorded 6 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2026, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.5 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 172% above the Virginia county average of 2.2 and 56% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 2 of 6 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 50.6/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Very Low (roughly $10.7M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put Buchanan County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Virginia Avg
+172%
State avg: 2.2
vs. National Avg
+56%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.5
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Buchanan County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Buchanan County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
51027
VA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 2
Tropical Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Flood 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 66.7%
of all 6 declarations
Emergency - 2 33.3%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3631 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-23 |
| 4863 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-04-04 |
| 4831 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-10-01 |
| 3621 | POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-29 |
| 4674 | FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-09-30 |
| 4628 | FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2021-10-26 |
Storm Events in Virginia
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 11,070 | 16 | 36 | $192.1M |
| Winter Weather | 2,529 | 7 | 32 | $903.0K |
| Flash Flood | 2,519 | 15 | 5 | $263.6M |
| Flood | 2,511 | 4 | 0 | $85.2M |
| Winter Storm | 1,745 | 5 | 6 | $3.5M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 50.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$10.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Virginia
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Buchanan County, Virginia had?
Buchanan County, Virginia has received 6 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2026. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Buchanan County?
The most common disaster type in Buchanan County is Severe Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (2), Winter Storm (1), Flood (1).
How does Buchanan County's disaster risk compare to the Virginia average?
Buchanan County has 6 disaster declarations, which is 172% higher than the Virginia county average of 2.2 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 56% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Buchanan County received?
Buchanan County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 6 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Virginia?
The most common storm types in Virginia include Thunderstorm Wind (11,070 events), Winter Weather (2,529 events), Flash Flood (2,519 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Buchanan County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Buchanan County was 2022, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Buchanan County?
With 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Buchanan County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Buchanan County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Buchanan County, Virginia has an overall risk score of 50.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $10.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Buchanan County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Buchanan County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Relatively Low) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Buchanan County
Buchanan County, VA runs 172% above the Virginia county average for federal disaster declarations (6 vs 2), a moderate historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (4 of 6) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Virginia overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.