FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
Virginia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Roanoke County, VA
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2025–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 52
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Roanoke County in the top 48% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Roanoke County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Virginia county average and the national county average.
- Roanoke County
- 2
- Virginia county avg
- 2.2
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Roanoke County?
Roanoke County, Virginia has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2025 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 9% below the Virginia county average of 2.2 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 52.2/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $19.9M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively Low and community resilience scores Relatively High - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Landslide (Relatively Moderate).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Roanoke County at a low relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Roanoke County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Low
vs. Virginia Avg
-9%
State avg: 2.2
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Roanoke County
The radar plots Roanoke 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
51161
VA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 2 FEMA disaster declarations in Roanoke County by incident type.
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Storm 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Roanoke County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 2 FEMA disaster declarations for Roanoke County, Virginia.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3631 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-23 |
| 4831 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-10-01 |
Storm Events in Virginia
NOAA severe weather data for Virginia (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 10,036 | 15 | 34 | $128.5M |
| Flash Flood | 2,427 | 15 | 4 | $261.2M |
| Flood | 2,400 | 4 | 0 | $85.1M |
| Winter Weather | 2,286 | 6 | 32 | $903.0K |
| Winter Storm | 1,583 | 5 | 6 | $3.5M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Roanoke County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 52.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$19.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Roanoke County.
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
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
Other Virginia counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Roanoke County, Virginia had?
Roanoke County, Virginia has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2025 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Roanoke County?
The most common disaster type in Roanoke County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (1).
How does Roanoke County's disaster risk compare to the Virginia average?
Roanoke County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 9% lower than the Virginia county average of 2.2 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Roanoke County received?
Roanoke County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 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 (10,036 events), Flash Flood (2,427 events), Flood (2,400 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Roanoke County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Roanoke County was 2025, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2025 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Roanoke County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Roanoke County has a low disaster risk level with 2 total declarations. This county has relatively few disaster declarations compared to the national average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Roanoke County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Roanoke County, Virginia has an overall risk score of 52.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $19.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Roanoke County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Roanoke County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively Moderate) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). 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 Roanoke County
Roanoke County, VA has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 9% below the Virginia county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (1 of 2) - 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.
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 report a data error.