Safest places to live in Virginia from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Virginia is in Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bath County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Accomack County, driven by coastal flooding. This page ranks every Virginia county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Virginia
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst County | Low | none rated high |
| Appomattox County | Low | none rated high |
| Bath County | Low | none rated high |
| Bedford County | Low | none rated high |
| Bland County | Low | none rated high |
| Botetourt County | Low | none rated high |
| Buckingham County | Low | none rated high |
| Campbell County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Virginia
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Accomack County | High | coastal flooding |
| Fairfax County | Elevated | riverine flooding |
| Norfolk County | Elevated | coastal flooding |
| Albemarle County | Low | hurricane |
| Arlington County | Low | riverine flooding |
Dominant perils in Virginia
Across Virginia, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are coastal flooding, riverine flooding. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any Virginia address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.