Alleghany County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Alleghany County's overall risk Very Low (score 38.1 of 100, higher than 38% 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 331 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 | 88.5 | $1.7M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 62.8 | $336K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.6 | $23K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 67.8 | $3K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $7.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 35.0 | $33K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.9 | $110K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34.2 | $95K |
| Drought | Very Low | 26.6 | $14K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 18.1 | $6K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.0 | $50K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 15.1 | $9K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 9.4 | $52K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 3.7 | $3K |
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 | 102 | 0 | $878K | 87th of 96 | 1623rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 0 | $107K | 71st of 96 | 893rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 1 | $349K | 22nd of 96 | 365th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 39 | 1 | $16M | 66th of 96 | 1047th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $1K | 63rd of 96 | 2118th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | $398K | 36th of 96 | 1429th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $307K | 36th of 96 | 1218th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 88th of 96 | 1155th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $211K | 52nd of 96 | 1002nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $4.4M | 10th of 96 | 551st of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | – | 5th of 96 | 168th of 2,278 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 69th of 96 | 895th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Alleghany County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.