Hanover County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hanover County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.5 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 567 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 | 91.0 | $2.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 60.7 | $226K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.0 | $502K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.8 | $4.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 74.9 | $1.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $15M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 58.2 | $870K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $2.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 40.6 | $680K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36.0 | $247K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29.4 | $47K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 32.4 | $609 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.7 | $26K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 25.2 | $3K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 6.7 | $6 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 5.3 | $31K |
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 | 235 | 0 | $1.2M | 48th of 96 | 739th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 130 | 0 | $276K | 46th of 96 | 558th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | $8K | 45th of 96 | 1787th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 46 | 2 | $3.3M | 63rd of 96 | 1008th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 43 | 0 | – | 23rd of 96 | 92nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 2 | $2.3M | 22nd of 96 | 1338th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $66K | 79th of 96 | 2297th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 83rd of 96 | 2137th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 60th of 96 | 1572nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $194K | 39th of 96 | 669th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | $15M | 66th of 96 | 2142nd of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $656K | 38th of 96 | 748th 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 Hanover County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.