Powhatan County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Powhatan County's overall risk Very Low (score 21.1 of 100, higher than 21% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 296 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 | 91.5 | $2.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.2 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $307K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.6 | $52K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 28.6 | $132K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 24.1 | $287K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.2 | $207K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 29.7 | $4.4M |
| Tornado | Very Low | 26.0 | $501K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 24.4 | $232 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 23.7 | $28K |
| Hail | Very Low | 13.0 | $55K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 12.8 | $6K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 4.1 | $9K |
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 | 119 | 0 | $500K | 44th of 96 | 636th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 0 | $224K | 28th of 96 | 254th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 29 | 0 | – | 56th of 96 | 2030th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 21 | 0 | – | 74th of 96 | 1278th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 0 | – | 25th of 96 | 96th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 42nd of 96 | 1149th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $134K | 55th of 96 | 2210th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | $11M | 52nd of 96 | 1950th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 56th of 96 | 1653rd of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $7.0M | 46th of 96 | 777th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 67th of 96 | 1442nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Powhatan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.