FEMA Records
18
Below median
Virginia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Virginia Beach (city), VA
18 FEMA disaster declarations (1972-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 18
- FEMA declarations
- 10
- Major disasters
- 58
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Virginia Beach (city) has a nationally busy FEMA history: 18 declarations, more than 37% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 12% below the Virginia county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 42%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 42%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 18
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 6,256
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Virginia Beach (city) compare?
Virginia Beach (city) vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
18 37th percentile higher than 37% of 3,266 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 · 2026-08-03
Virginia Beach (city)'s FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Virginia county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Virginia Beach (city) is led by Hurricane (about $9.8M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Low), while Heat Wave carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Virginia Beach (city)'s hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 6,256 claims and $103.8M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $16.6K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a Virginia county averages 20.4 federal declaration records, while Virginia Beach (city) has 18. The gap is 12% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 57.9/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $30.6M in annualized losses), and a Very Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Heat Wave carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 6.1 modeled event-days per year here, based on 48 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Virginia Beach (city)'s 18 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Virginia, however, the count is 12% below the county mean. 10 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Hurricane, appearing 10 times. The full 54-year record averages 0.3 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
56 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Virginia Beach (city), VA · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
13/30
18 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
18 declarations (0.9x state county average of 20)
Major Disaster Share High
14/25
10 of 18 declarations are major disasters (56%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Virginia Beach (city)
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Virginia Avg
-12%
State avg: 20.4
vs. National Avg
-13%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 54 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Virginia Beach (city)
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
56%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
58
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Virginia Beach (city)?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 6.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 40 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,205 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.4 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 5 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 2,384 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 2.9 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 0.8 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 30 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 10
Biological 2
Snowstorm 2
Winter Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Freezing 1
Flood 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Virginia Beach (city)'s federal record, 56% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 10 55.6%
of all 18 declarations
Emergency - 8 44.4%
of all 18 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 18 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 18 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3631 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-23 |
| 4512 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-02 |
| 3448 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3403 | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM | Hurricane | 2018-09-11 |
| 4291 | HURRICANE MATTHEW | DR | Hurricane | 2016-11-02 |
| 3359 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-29 |
| 4024 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-03 |
| 3329 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-26 |
| 1862 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IDA AND A NOR'EAST | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-12-09 |
| 3240 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-12 |
| 1491 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-18 |
| 1293 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-09-18 |
| 3147 | HURRICANE FLOYD EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS | EM | Hurricane | 1999-09-16 |
| 1242 | HURRICANE BONNIE | DR | Hurricane | 1998-09-04 |
| 1086 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-13 |
| 3112 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-25 |
| 525 | ICE CONDITIONS | DR | Freezing | 1977-01-26 |
| 339 | TROPICAL STORM AGNES | DR | Flood | 1972-06-23 |
Storm Events in Virginia
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Virginia Beach (city).
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,940 | 13 | 31 | $123.1M |
| Flood | 2,300 | 4 | 0 | $85.1M |
| Winter Weather | 2,049 | 6 | 32 | $902.0K |
| Flash Flood | 1,942 | 13 | 4 | $244.2M |
| Heavy Rain | 1,566 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
6,256
Total Paid
$103.8M
Avg Per Claim
$16.6K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 57.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$30.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Drought Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Heat Wave
Heat Wave is measured in event-days per year rather than discrete events, and it is the hazard whose harm is most consistently undercounted: its toll is health and mortality, concentrated among people without cooling, rather than visible damage to property.
Worth noting for Virginia Beach (city): the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Heat Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Hurricane. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Virginia Beach (city)'s closest FEMA peer: Gordon County, GA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Virginia Beach (city). Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Virginia Beach (city) shows 18 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
Virginia Beach (city): 10 of 18 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Virginia Beach (city): NRI composite 57.9 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Virginia Beach (city) - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Virginia Beach (city)'s NFIP claims file (6,256 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Virginia Beach (city)?
The most common disaster type in Virginia Beach (city) is Hurricane, with 10 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Snowstorm (2), Winter Storm (1).
How does Virginia Beach (city)'s FEMA declaration record compare with the Virginia average?
The typical Virginia county has 20.4 FEMA declaration records; Virginia Beach (city) has 18, or 12% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 13% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Virginia Beach (city) received?
Virginia Beach (city) has received 10 major disaster declarations, representing 56% of all 18 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Virginia Beach (city) filed?
Virginia Beach (city) has 6,256 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $103.8M in payments, with an average of $16.6K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Virginia Beach (city)?
No. In Virginia Beach (city), Heat Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Hurricane leads Expected Annual Loss at about $9.8M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Virginia Beach (city)?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Virginia Beach (city) was 1999, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1972 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Virginia Beach (city)?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Virginia Beach (city), Virginia has an overall risk score of 57.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Very Low; on community resilience, Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $30.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Virginia Beach (city)?
FEMA's NRI data points to Virginia Beach (city) as of the latest release is Heat Wave (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Relatively Moderate) and Lightning (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts heat wave here at 6.1 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 48 historical events on record. 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.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
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 Virginia Beach (city)
Against a Virginia county mean of 20 declarations, Virginia Beach (city), VA records 18, or 12% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (10 of 18) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Virginia overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 37% of recorded county totals, but its own Virginia benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- The large NFIP claims file and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records; the guide explains where they overlap and where they do not. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. 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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.