Albemarle County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Albemarle County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.1 of 100, higher than 78% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,357 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.3 | $2.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | $27M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $3.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | $875K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.8 | $683K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.2 | $136K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.6 | $3.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.8 | $27K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.2 | $917K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 64.3 | $120K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.9 | $110K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52.2 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 48.8 | $260K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 49.4 | $551 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 11.2 | $96K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 514 | 2 | $3.2M | 33rd of 96 | 529th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 237 | 0 | $731K | 36th of 96 | 402nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 228 | 4 | $2.2M | 28th of 96 | 361st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 84 | 0 | $2.8M | 18th of 96 | 150th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $39K | 68th of 96 | 2160th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 42 | 0 | – | 19th of 96 | 463rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 0 | $5.0M | 39th of 96 | 834th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | $18K | 73rd of 96 | 609th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 11 | $4.1M | 56th of 96 | 2216th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $32K | 32nd of 96 | 569th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | $15M | 51st of 96 | 1892nd of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $7K | 64th of 96 | 854th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $107K | 13th of 96 | 738th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Albemarle County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.