Salem (city), Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Salem (city)'s overall risk Very Low (score 18.6 of 100, higher than 18% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 44.8 | $7.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.5 | $479K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.3 | $154K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 26.2 | $32K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 57.7 | $205K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 49.0 | $336K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 27.4 | $317 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 17.7 | $243K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 13.3 | $10K |
| Hail | Very Low | 12.7 | $54K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.6 | $133K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 11.1 | $27K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 1.4 | $692 |
| 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 | 29 | 0 | $772K | ||
| Floods | 23 | 1 | $695K | ||
| Hail | 22 | 0 | $734K | ||
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $34K | ||
| Winter storms | 6 | 0 | $15K | ||
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | ||
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $6K | ||
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $190K | ||
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | $1.1M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Salem (city) record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.