Norfolk (city), Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Norfolk (city)'s overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.2 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 454 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 High | 87.8 | $1.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 82.4 | $3.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | $13M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 | $2.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 | $17M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.1 | $3.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 71.4 | $1.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | $2.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.8 | $132K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | $220K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.8 | $542K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 32.9 | $18K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 12.0 | $39 |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 122 | 0 | $53M | ||
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 1 | $51M | ||
| Heavy rain | 52 | 0 | $25K | ||
| Winter storms | 51 | 0 | $1K | ||
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $18M | ||
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 0 | $1.7M | ||
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 0 | $80M | ||
| Tornadoes | 12 | 1 | $9.3M | ||
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | ||
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $81K | ||
| Drought | 1 | 0 | – | ||
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Norfolk (city) record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.