Buena Vista (city), Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Buena Vista (city)'s overall risk Very Low (score 3.3 of 100, higher than 3% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $113K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 53.0 | $92K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.3 | $32K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 20.6 | $116 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 16.4 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 14.6 | $111K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 12.3 | $104K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 12.2 | $9K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 12.0 | $11 |
| Hail | Very Low | 11.3 | $34K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 7.4 | $36K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 7.1 | $3K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 4.5 | $4K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 1.0 | $414 |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 18 | 0 | $123K | ||
| Drought | 7 | 0 | – | ||
| Hail | 5 | 0 | – | ||
| Winter storms | 5 | 0 | $5K | ||
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $58K | ||
| Floods | 2 | 0 | – | ||
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Buena Vista (city) record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.