Essex County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Essex County's overall risk Very Low (score 18.6 of 100, higher than 18% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 310 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.1 | $1.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 80.0 | $1.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.6 | $241K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 30.6 | $26K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 22.2 | $157K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 43.2 | $144K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 40.9 | $543 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 27.7 | $91K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.9 | $236K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.5 | $44K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 15.7 | $41K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 10.7 | $6K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 10.4 | $1.1M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 10.2 | $3K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 6.7 | $29K |
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 | 110 | 0 | $282K | 36th of 96 | 547th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 0 | $201K | 27th of 96 | 240th of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 25 | 0 | – | 19th of 96 | 72nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 24 | 0 | $2.6M | 68th of 96 | 1116th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 23 | 0 | – | 64th of 96 | 2121st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 41st of 96 | 1143rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $66K | 68th of 96 | 2024th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 75th of 96 | 1998th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $6.5M | 64th of 96 | 2352nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $33M | 23rd of 96 | 564th of 1,849 |
| Drought | 1 | 0 | $4.1M | 73rd of 96 | 2266th of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Essex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.