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Natural hazard risk in Wise County, Virginia

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 50.4 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$13.2 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1977
17[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$2.7 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
3[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) gives Wise County an overall Risk Index rating of Relatively Low compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are landslide, wildfire and cold wave[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Wise County at $13.2 million a year, with a rating of Very Low compared with other US counties[1]. This is an estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid, and FEMA says the index does not predict next year's damage[7]. FEMA's sorted loss values show the largest are inland flooding ($9.1 million a year), cold wave ($2.2 million a year) and wildfire ($525,000 a year)[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Relatively High (score 62.5), meaning how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience Very Low (score 6.1), which describes a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
LandslideRelatively Moderate$38,000[11]
WildfireRelatively Low$525,000[12]
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$2.2 million[13]
AvalancheRelatively Low$3,198[14]
Inland FloodingRelatively Low$9.1 million[15]
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$89,000[16]
EarthquakeVery Low$329,000[17]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$505,000[18]
HurricaneVery Low$52,000[19]
DroughtVery Low$22,000[20]
TornadoVery Low$216,000[21]
LightningVery Low$54,000[22]
HailVery Low$55,000[23]
Ice StormVery Low$5,477[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High62.5[9]
Community resilienceVery Low6.1[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding in Wise County Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 66.2[15]. OpenFEMA lists 154 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 1.1%[26]. Inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 12.2% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims from 1978 to 2026 show 348 claims filed and $2.7 million paid in total[3]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the place to look up the flood zone of a specific address[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[15] Relatively Low, $9.1 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 154 of 14,296 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 1,115, of which 136 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 348 filed, $2.7 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wise County since 1977[2]. The most recent listed is EM-3631-VA, a Severe Winter Storm, declared 2026-01-23[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 3 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, with the strongest rated EF2[4]. The most recent was on 2009-05-08[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wise County, since 1977
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 6
Snowstorm[2] 4
Hurricane[2] 3
Tropical Storm[2] 2
Winter Storm[2] 1
Flood[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3631-VA[28] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-23
DR-4863-VA[28] Severe Winter Storms And Flooding 2025-04-04
DR-4831-VA[28] Tropical Storm Helene 2024-10-01
EM-3621-VA[28] Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene 2024-09-29
EM-3403-VA[28] Hurricane Florence 2018-09-11

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Wildfires

Before

  • Sign up for community alerts and watch for air quality alerts.
  • Make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan, including for school, work and other places you go often.
  • Keep a fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet around your home, clear of leaves and debris.
  • Use fire-resistant building materials and keep a hose long enough to reach every part of your property.
  • Pick a room you can seal off from outside air and keep a portable air cleaner ready.

During

  • Leave right away when authorities tell you to evacuate.
  • If you are trapped, call 9-1-1 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
  • If you are not ordered to leave but there is smoke, stay in a safe indoor place or go to a community building with less smoke.

Source: Ready.gov, wildfires

Questions people ask

Is Wise County, Virginia at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively Low compared with other US counties, and it accounts for the largest share of expected annual loss at $9.1 million a year[15][8]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the flood zone for a specific address[27].
Does Wise County have tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 3 tornadoes touching Wise County from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Very Low compared with other US counties[21].
Is Wise County at risk of earthquakes or hurricanes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Very Low and hurricane risk Very Low compared with other US counties[17][19].
Is Wise County at risk of wildfire?
FEMA rates wildfire risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 84.2[12].
How many disasters have been declared in Wise County?
OpenFEMA lists 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wise County since 1977[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Wise County is $13.2 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Very Low, score 45.8). Of this, buildings account for $9.5 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $3.7 million and... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wise County since 1977 (11 major disaster, 6 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 6, snowstorm 4, hurricane 3, tropical storm 2, winter storm 1, flood 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 348 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Wise County, 280 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $2.7 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 3 recorded tornadoes touched Wise County. The strongest were rated EF2 (most recent of them on 2009-05-08). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2009-05-08. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Wise County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 50.4 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Wise County are landslide (88.4, Relatively Moderate), wildfire (84.2, Relatively Low), cold wave (75.5, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Wise County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($9.1 million a year), cold wave ($2.2 million a year), wildfire ($525,000 a year), out of $13.2 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Wise County is Relatively High (score 62.5). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Wise County is Very Low (score 6.1). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 88.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $38,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 84.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $525,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0115 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 75.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 2.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 69.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3,198 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 66.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $9.1 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.89 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 65.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $89,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 15.02 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 57.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $329,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0017 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Wise County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 54.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $505,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 3.93 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 48.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $52,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.02 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic Basin... FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 30.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $22,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 8 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 21.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $216,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.06 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 19.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $54,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 51.1 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 19.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $55,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 3.05 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Wise County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 12.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5,477 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.13 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Wise County: coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 154 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Wise County, out of 14,296 residential structures, a penetration rate of 1.1%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 1,115 residential structures and 136 contracts, a rate... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.