Botetourt County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Botetourt County's overall risk Very Low (score 18.1 of 100, higher than 18% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 481 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 86.9 | $50K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $7.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 40.8 | $217K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 40.5 | $553K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.4 | $54K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 30.1 | $550K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 63.2 | $3K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 56.0 | $175K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.7 | $152K |
| Drought | Very Low | 28.9 | $28K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.1 | $14K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 16.4 | $15K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.0 | $122K |
| Hail | Very Low | 10.8 | $45K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.2 | $25K |
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 | 166 | 0 | $1.4M | 75th of 96 | 1283rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 79 | 0 | $72K | 26th of 96 | 1363rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 77 | 1 | $6.5M | 56th of 96 | 851st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 74 | 2 | $82K | 85th of 96 | 1125th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $635K | 27th of 96 | 427th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | $579K | 39th of 96 | 1463rd of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | $6.2M | 33rd of 96 | 1196th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $578K | 37th of 96 | 648th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 90th of 96 | 1281st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $38K | 85th of 96 | 2606th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 72nd of 96 | 939th 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 Botetourt County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.