Smyth County, Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Smyth County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.8 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 437 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.2 | $6.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 87.2 | $30K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $7.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $371K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 61.2 | $229K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 49.0 | $402K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $150K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 43.5 | $39K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 37.9 | $36K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 61.4 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 58.0 | $122K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.3 | $11K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 21.1 | $195K |
| Hail | Very Low | 19.2 | $51K |
| 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 | 152 | 0 | $4.0M | 79th of 96 | 1382nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 0 | $74K | 77th of 96 | 1006th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 65 | 0 | $28M | 53rd of 96 | 788th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $13K | 59th of 96 | 2042nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $34M | 17th of 96 | 321st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 25 | 0 | $15M | 8th of 96 | 844th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 0 | $6K | 38th of 96 | 1230th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 77th of 96 | 694th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | $4.6M | 54th of 96 | 2204th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $194K | 64th of 96 | 1325th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $2K | 12th of 96 | 255th 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 Smyth County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.