Portsmouth (city), Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Portsmouth (city)'s overall risk Relatively Low (score 54.0 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 213 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 86.6 | $4.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.0 | $177K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 68.0 | $467K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 64.2 | $734K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.3 | $1.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 64.9 | $613K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 58.4 | $127K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $7.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $1.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.4 | $908K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $408K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 37.8 | $168K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19.8 | $8K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 7.4 | $16 |
| 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 | 55 | 0 | $192K | ||
| Floods | 53 | 0 | $5.1M | ||
| Heavy rain | 30 | 0 | – | ||
| Hail | 25 | 0 | $46K | ||
| Winter storms | 16 | 0 | $1K | ||
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 0 | $158K | ||
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $320K | ||
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $242K | ||
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $18M | ||
| Heat | 2 | 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 Portsmouth (city) record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.