James City County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates James City County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.3 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 291 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 Moderate | 85.3 | $1.6M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $3.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 67.3 | $240K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 64.7 | $512K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 61.6 | $782K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.1 | $608K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.8 | $12M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 60.6 | $117K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.2 | $275K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51.1 | $1.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $559K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.9 | $733K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 53.2 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 46.4 | $48K |
| Hail | Very Low | 32.6 | $168K |
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 | 104 | 0 | $2.0M | 10th of 96 | 124th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 76 | 0 | – | 2nd of 96 | 6th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 0 | $1.4M | 9th of 96 | 123rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 24 | 0 | $62K | 68th of 96 | 861st of 3,077 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $356K | 35th of 96 | 1585th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 0 | $21M | 8th of 96 | 630th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 1 | $196K | 2nd of 96 | 102nd of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 2nd of 96 | 90th of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 50th of 96 | 1477th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 47th of 96 | 1209th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 1 | $47K | 73rd of 96 | 2116th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $114K | 17th of 96 | 393rd 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 James City County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.