Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Craig County, VA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
51045
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Plan 111227 approved 2026-01-22, pending adoption here; not yet eligible. Plan: PDC 05 Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111227), pending adoption here, approved 2026-01-22 by FEMA; not yet adopted here.

Update: FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoption.

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($2,457,138 a year), Strong Wind ($93,245) and Cold Wave ($86,222).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Plan 111227 approved 2026-01-22, pending adoption here; not yet eligible
Plan:
PDC 05 Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111227), pending adoption here
Approved:
2026-01-22 by FEMA; not yet adopted here
Expires:
2031-01-21 once adopted
Update underway:
FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoption

Not yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

Not yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

What changed since your last plan

Not available. Plan 111227 was approved by FEMA on 2026-01-22 but is not yet adopted here, so no since-plan counts are given.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Craig CountyCountyPlan 111227 approved 2026-01-22, pending adoption here; not yet eligiblePDC 05 Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111227), pending adoption here2026-01-22 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-01-21 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$2,448,898$3,024$5,216$2,457,13822
2Strong WindVery LowVery Low$29,443$13,699$50,102$93,24583Includes 38 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
3Cold WaveVery LowVery Low$663$5,963$79,596$86,2225Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
4LightningVery LowVery Low$1,861n/a$24,942$26,8041
5LandslideRelatively LowRelatively Low$1,754n/a$17,692$19,4470Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
6EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$15,969n/a$3,167$19,136Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
7TornadoVery LowVery Low$10,003$55$7,036$17,0941
8HurricaneVery LowVery Low$13,316$2,250$724$16,2901
9Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$4,832$2$6,430$11,26557
10DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$8,972n/a$8,97213
11HailVery LowVery Low$4,327$833$2,727$7,88722
12Ice StormVery LowVery Low$1,348n/a$881$2,22912
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$1,556$4$638$2,1981
14AvalancheVery LowVery Low$0n/a$365$3650No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15Heat WaveVery LowVery Lowunder $1under $1under $1under $10No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

NRI rating of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardCensus tractNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 501 (Very Low, 35.0)
Earthquaketract 501 (Relatively Low, 45.6)
Hurricanetract 501 (Relatively Low, 57.5)
Landslidetract 501 (Relatively Moderate, 98.8)
Tornadotract 501 (Relatively Low, 32.7)
Wildfiretract 501 (Relatively Low, 75.5)

A tract number is the Census tract number (for example 501 is Census Tract 501). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill3 records, 1996 to 2022 (3 zone-level)2 days to 5 days (median 4 days); 3 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 1996-03-08 to 1996-03-12, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage2 records, 2006 to 2012 (2 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)13 records, 1998 to 2026 (13 zone-level)22 days to 97 days (median 48.5 days); 6 with a recorded value97 days (about 3.2 months), 1999-06-01 to 1999-09-05, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelDrought, 1998-10-01, property not reported; $200,000 crops (zone total, 1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)22 records, 1996 to 20190.75 in to 1.75 in (median 0.94 in); 22 with a recorded value1.75 in hail, 2002-04-28; same size also recorded on 2002-04-28Hail, 2002-04-28, $10,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson1 record, 2003 (1 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Tropical Storm record, 2003-09-18 to 2003-09-19, $0 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars); NWS zone VAZ018Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)12 records, 1996 to 2018 (12 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2007-12-15, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone VAZ018Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)22 records, 1996 to 2025 (1 zone-level)Flash Flood, 1996-01-19, $150,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan. Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)1 record, 1996Lightning, 1996-05-05, $3,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)39 records, 2000 to 2025 (39 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 60 kt (69 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 36 with a recorded value60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2025-02-16; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2003-01-09, 2003-01-23, 2003-02-22; NWS zone VAZ018High Wind, 2024-09-27, $110,000 property; $105,000 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)48 records, 1988 to 202450 kt (58 mph) to 80 kt (92 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 34 with a recorded value80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2003-05-09Thunderstorm Wind, 2012-06-29, $436,000 property; $341,700 crops (2012 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)1 record, 2018F/EF1; 1 with a recorded valueEF1 tornado, 2018-04-15, 0.5 mi within this county, 150 yd wide, $124,000 property; crops not reported (2018 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)1 record, 2012 (1 zone-level)No damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)57 records, 1996 to 2026 (57 zone-level)Winter Storm, 2025-02-11, $45,000 property; $0 crops (2025 dollars); NWS zone VAZ018Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 26 declarations covering 20 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Plan 111227 was approved by FEMA on 2026-01-22 but is not yet adopted here, so no since-plan counts are given.

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-01-232026-01-22EM-3631-VAEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2025-04-042025-02-10DR-4863-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado; Winter Weather$4,069.29within last 5 years
2024-10-012024-09-25DR-4831-VAMajor disasterTropical Storm HeleneHurricane$53,349.13within last 5 years
2024-09-292024-09-25EM-3621-VAEmergencyPost-Tropical Cyclone HeleneHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4831
2020-04-022020-01-20DR-4512-VAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3448-VAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4512
2018-10-152018-09-08DR-4401-VAMajor disasterHurricane FlorenceHurricane$5,317.55
2018-09-112018-09-13EM-3403-VAEmergencyHurricane FlorenceHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4401
2012-11-262012-10-26DR-4092-VAMajor disasterHurricane SandyHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2012-10-292012-10-26EM-3359-VAEmergencyHurricane SandyHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4092
2012-07-272012-06-29DR-4072-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms and Straight-Line WindsStrong Wind$12,316.18
2010-04-272010-02-05DR-1905-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and SnowstormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
2010-02-162009-12-18DR-1874-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
2006-07-132006-06-23DR-1655-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
2005-09-122005-08-29EM-3240-VAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-10-182004-09-27DR-1570-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms and Flooding from the Remanants of Hurricane JeanneHurricane; Inland FloodingPA not declared for this county
2003-03-272003-02-15DR-1458-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,Floodind, and MudslideInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
2000-02-282000-01-25DR-1318-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1996-01-131996-01-06DR-1086-VAMajor disasterBlizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm)Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1994-04-111994-03-01DR-1021-VAMajor disasterSevere Winter Ice StormIce Storm; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1994-03-101994-02-08DR-1014-VAMajor disasterSevere Ice Storms, FloodingWinter Weather (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-251993-03-13EM-3112-VAEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1992-05-191992-04-21DR-944-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1985-11-091985-11-09DR-755-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1977-07-231977-07-23EM-3046-VAEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1972-06-231972-06-23DR-339-VAMajor disasterTropical Storm AgnesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Hurricaneno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1963-03-211963-03-21DR-149-VAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1962-03-091962-03-09DR-123-VAMajor disasterSevere Storms, High Tides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Coastal Flooding
1957-02-011957-02-01DR-68-VAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave5101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought13511996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail22001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane1051996 to 2026-06-30
Ice Storm12011996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding22381996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0011996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Lightning1001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind871211955 to 2026-06-30Includes 38 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado1021950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire1001996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather575101996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2025-02-16High Wind60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust$20,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2025 dollars)0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2025-02-11Winter Storm$45,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2025 dollars)0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2024-09-27High Wind59 kt (68 mph) measured gust$110,000 property; $105,000 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)1, 1NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2018-04-15TornadoEF1, 0.5 mi within this county, 150 yd wide$124,000 property; crops not reported (2018 dollars)0, 0MARSHALLTOWNB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
2007-12-15Ice Storm$10,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2003-09-18Tropical Storm$0 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2003 dollars)0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2003-05-09Thunderstorm Wind80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars)0, 0NEW CASTLEB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2002-04-28Hail1.75 indamage not reported0, 0NEW CASTLEB1-c worst recorded: Hail
1999-06-01Droughtdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
1996-05-05Lightning$3,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 0NEW CASTLEB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1996-03-08Cold/Wind Chillproperty not reported; $3,000 crops (zone total, 1996 dollars)0, 0NWS zone VAZ018 (CRAIG), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1996-01-19Flash Flood$150,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (222 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave4.74event-days per yearabout 4.74 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)902005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought1.94event-days per yearabout 1.94 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)492000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.0011annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.11%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.48events per yearabout 3.48 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)132.3 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave0.000104event-days per yearabout 0.000104 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)0.00182005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricane0.0226events per yearabout 1 in 44 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.461event-days per yearabout 0.461 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)311946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.607event-days per yearabout 0.607 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 12 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (40%)171996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.828events per year (modeled)about 0.83 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning43.1days per year with a strikeabout 43.1 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.59events per yearabout 2.59 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)991986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0415events per yearabout 1 in 24 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000967annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0967%PossibleStorm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather12event-days per yearabout 12 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 25 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (83.3%)2282005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202511300.367
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202531301.03
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202510300.333
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

NRI risk score of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardTract scoreNRI score, 0 to 100Rating
Avalanche35.0Very Low
Cold Wave69.9Relatively Moderate
Drought88.4Relatively Low
Earthquake45.6Relatively Low
Hail56.7Relatively Low
Heat Wave1.5Very Low
Hurricane57.5Relatively Low
Ice Storm36.1Relatively Low
Inland Flooding98.4Very High
Landslide98.8Relatively Moderate
Lightning84.0Relatively High
Strong Wind92.9Relatively High
Tornado32.7Relatively Low
Wildfire75.5Relatively Low
Winter Weather88.4Relatively High

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its plan
Craig CountyCountyPlan 111227 approved 2026-01-22, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 8$14,497.520 total; no approved plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

Plan 111227 was approved by FEMA on 2026-01-22 but is not yet adopted here, so no since-plan counts are given.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since plancounty-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$0n/aunder 1$0n/a$365building exposure is 0 in NRI
Cold Wave$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$663$5,963$79,596under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$691,372n/an/a$8,972n/a1.3% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$1,619,094,915n/a4,892$15,969n/a$3,1670.000986%
Hail$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$4,327$833$2,7270.000423%
Heat Wave$36,962,608$25,223151under $1under $1under $1under 0.0001%
Hurricane$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$13,316$2,250$7240.0013%
Ice Storm$1,022,335,834n/a4,883$1,348n/a$8810.000132%
Inland Flooding$1,020,250,702$546,417260$2,448,898$3,024$5,216n/a (see note)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$104,483,345n/a489$1,754n/a$17,6920.00168%
Lightning$1,022,335,834n/a4,883$1,861n/a$24,9420.000182%
Strong Wind$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$29,443$13,699$50,1020.00288%
Tornado$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$10,003$55$7,0360.000978%
Wildfire$27,952,090$567,945511$1,556$4$6380.00557%
Winter Weather$1,022,335,834$6,001,6734,883$4,832$2$6,4300.000473%

Totals since the plan: not available. Plan 111227 was approved by FEMA on 2026-01-22 but is not yet adopted here, so no since-plan counts are given.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population4,883
Building value (total, not at risk)$1,022,335,834
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$6,001,673
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$2,568,774
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$199,519
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)1
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition7Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0170801
of which: Craig County (unincorporated area)0170801
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0040400

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Craig County5103130170801

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0150601
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0020200
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 7 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Craig County, VA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 51045). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/va/51045/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]