Russell County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Russell County's overall risk Very Low (score 36.5 of 100, higher than 36% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 308 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.1 | $100K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $2.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.5 | $100K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 48.2 | $4.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 43.4 | $346K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41.1 | $127K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 26.0 | $19K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 64.8 | $2K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 55.1 | $276K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 54.4 | $47K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 50.9 | $59K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 23.8 | $17K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.4 | $44K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16.4 | $127K |
| Heat Wave | 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 | 137 | 0 | $1.5M | 69th of 96 | 1148th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 0 | $665K | 74th of 96 | 926th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 35 | 0 | $1.5M | 70th of 96 | 1247th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 17 | 0 | – | 95th of 96 | 2630th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 0 | $101K | 57th of 96 | 1497th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $483K | 67th of 96 | 2396th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 92nd of 96 | 1893rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 13th of 96 | 263rd of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Russell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.