Amherst County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Amherst County's overall risk Very Low (score 21.0 of 100, higher than 20% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 502 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 Moderate | 57.1 | $578K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 66.2 | $353K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 64.6 | $3K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $209K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 41.6 | $4.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 37.7 | $47K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 33.0 | $30K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 30.8 | $29K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 56.7 | $955 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 54.4 | $298K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 45.1 | $30K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.2 | $250K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 21.5 | $61K |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.7 | $43K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 14.5 | $126K |
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 | 203 | 1 | $1.0M | 57th of 96 | 885th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 1 | $169K | 64th of 96 | 814th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 70 | 0 | $394 | 31st of 96 | 1460th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 45 | 1 | $1.5M | 69th of 96 | 1161st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 0 | $678K | 29th of 96 | 452nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $1.6M | 25th of 96 | 649th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | $543K | 24th of 96 | 1211th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $429K | 30th of 96 | 557th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 84th of 96 | 978th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $5.1M | 81st of 96 | 2572nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $48K | 40th of 96 | 753rd of 1,849 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | $2K | 7th of 96 | 174th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | – | 69th of 96 | 2177th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Amherst County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.