Earthquake Risk in Virginia

All Virginia counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index earthquake score

Earthquake risk — ground shaking from sudden movement along geologic faults — is rated for 133 of 133 Virginia counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Henrico County carries the state's highest earthquake score at 93.4, with $11M in expected annual earthquake losses.

No Virginia county reaches the High band for earthquake, and expected annual losses from earthquake total roughly $100M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.

County Rankings — Earthquake

#CountyEarthquake ScoreRatingAnn. Freq.Ann. Loss
1 Henrico County
93.4
Medium 0.00 / yr $11M
2 Fairfax County
92.8
Medium 0.00 / yr $11M
3 Richmond City
92.7
Medium 0.00 / yr $8M
4 Chesterfield County
89.6
Low 0.00 / yr $7M
5 Albemarle County
85.6
Low 0.00 / yr $3M
6 Hanover County
83.8
Low 0.00 / yr $4M
7 Prince William County
80.9
Low 0.00 / yr $2M
8 Alexandria City
80.0
Low 0.00 / yr $2M
9 Norfolk City
78.1
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
10 Loudoun County
77.9
Low 0.00 / yr $2M
11 Louisa County
76.4
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
12 Newport News City
76.3
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
13 Spotsylvania County
76.2
Low 0.00 / yr $2M
14 Roanoke City
74.7
Low 0.00 / yr $872K
15 Montgomery County
73.4
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
16 Arlington County
73.0
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
17 Lynchburg City
73.0
Low 0.00 / yr $909K
18 Washington County
72.7
Low 0.00 / yr $803K
19 Powhatan County
72.2
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
20 Goochland County
71.5
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
21 Chesapeake City
71.1
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
22 Charlottesville City
70.9
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
23 Augusta County
70.6
Low 0.00 / yr $754K
24 Stafford County
70.5
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
25 Tazewell County
68.1
Low 0.00 / yr $507K
26 Pulaski County
68.0
Low 0.00 / yr $549K
27 Henry County
67.9
Low 0.00 / yr $459K
28 Virginia Beach City
67.5
Low 0.00 / yr $1M
29 Fluvanna County
67.3
Low 0.00 / yr $756K
30 Rockingham County
67.0
Low 0.00 / yr $691K
31 Pittsylvania County
67.0
Low 0.00 / yr $474K
32 Petersburg City
66.1
Low 0.00 / yr $532K
33 Prince Edward County
65.2
Low 0.00 / yr $415K
34 Culpeper County
65.1
Low 0.00 / yr $622K
35 Harrisonburg City
65.1
Low 0.00 / yr $621K
36 Hampton City
65.0
Low 0.00 / yr $634K
37 Mecklenburg County
65.0
Low 0.00 / yr $435K
38 Portsmouth City
64.9
Low 0.00 / yr $613K
39 Scott County
64.5
Low 0.00 / yr $375K
40 Danville City
64.2
Low 0.00 / yr $399K
41 Hopewell City
64.0
Low 0.00 / yr $389K
42 Halifax County
63.3
Low 0.00 / yr $328K
43 Winchester City
63.0
Low 0.00 / yr $503K
44 Buckingham County
62.9
Low 0.00 / yr $368K
45 Orange County
61.9
Low 0.00 / yr $661K
46 Smyth County
61.5
Low 0.00 / yr $371K
47 Fauquier County
61.2
Low 0.00 / yr $710K
48 James City County
61.1
Low 0.00 / yr $608K
49 Wythe County
61.0
Low 0.00 / yr $364K
50 Campbell County
61.0
Low 0.00 / yr $421K
51 Martinsville City
60.7
Low 0.00 / yr $341K
52 Cumberland County
60.5
Low 0.00 / yr $331K
53 Lee County
60.4
Low 0.00 / yr $271K
54 Bedford County
60.2
Low 0.00 / yr $484K
55 Caroline County
59.9
Low 0.00 / yr $505K
56 Frederick County
59.7
Low 0.00 / yr $633K
57 Nottoway County
59.6
Low 0.00 / yr $293K
58 Bristol City
59.5
Low 0.00 / yr $296K
59 Roanoke County
57.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $477K
60 Wise County
57.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $329K
61 Fredericksburg City
57.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $629K
62 Shenandoah County
56.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $345K
63 Manassas City
55.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $436K
64 Dinwiddie County
55.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $372K
65 Franklin County
55.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $296K
66 Russell County
55.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $276K
67 Amherst County
54.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $298K
68 York County
54.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $585K
69 Suffolk City
54.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $404K
70 Lunenburg County
52.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $182K
71 Prince George County
51.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $426K
72 Accomack County
51.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $208K
73 Amelia County
49.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $260K
74 Salem City
49.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $336K
75 Waynesboro City
48.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $315K
76 Buchanan County
48.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $162K
77 Fairfax City
47.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $372K
78 Carroll County
47.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $169K
79 Westmoreland County
47.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $188K
80 Lexington City
46.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $184K
81 Isle of Wight County
46.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $284K
82 Charlotte County
45.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $134K
83 Nelson County
45.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $171K
84 Warren County
45.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $265K
85 Radford City
44.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $221K
86 Madison County
44.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $215K
87 Brunswick County
44.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $150K
88 Sussex County
43.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $141K
89 Essex County
43.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $144K
90 Giles County
43.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $156K
91 Page County
43.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $150K
92 Lancaster County
42.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $132K
93 Gloucester County
42.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $201K
94 Southampton County
42.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $161K
95 Greene County
42.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $177K
96 Staunton City
41.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $177K
97 Appomattox County
41.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $169K
98 Colonial Heights City
41.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $211K
99 New Kent County
41.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $204K
100 Greensville County
40.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $100K
101 Williamsburg City
40.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $249K
102 Grayson County
39.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $109K
103 King George County
39.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $226K
104 Northumberland County
38.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $97K
105 Rockbridge County
38.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $116K
106 Emporia City
37.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $112K
107 Patrick County
37.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $111K
108 Charles City County
37.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $93K
109 Middlesex County
36.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $91K
110 King William County
36.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $184K
111 Franklin City
36.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $93K
112 Dickenson County
36.0
Very Low 0.00 / yr $87K
113 Botetourt County
35.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $152K
114 Clarke County
34.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $166K
115 Galax City
34.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $80K
116 King and Queen County
34.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $75K
117 Alleghany County
34.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $95K
118 Richmond County
33.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $78K
119 Mathews County
33.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $74K
120 Manassas Park City
32.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $104K
121 Northampton County
32.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $63K
122 Norton City
31.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $63K
123 Falls Church City
30.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $142K
124 Floyd County
28.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $67K
125 Surry County
28.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $57K
126 Rappahannock County
27.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $53K
127 Bland County
27.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $52K
128 Covington City
26.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $55K
129 Poquoson City
23.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $77K
130 Buena Vista City
22.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $32K
131 Bath County
21.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $29K
132 Craig County
18.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $19K
133 Highland County
13.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $13K

133 Virginia counties with measurable earthquake risk. See the national earthquake ranking or all Virginia counties by overall risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia county has the highest earthquake risk?

Henrico County has the highest FEMA earthquake risk score in Virginia at 93.4 (Medium), with $11M in expected annual losses and about 0.00 events per year.

How many Virginia counties face significant earthquake risk?

133 Virginia counties record measurable earthquake risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.

Other Hazards in Virginia

Avalanche Coastal Flood Cold Wave Drought Hail Heat Wave Hurricane Ice Storm Riverine Flood Landslide Lightning Strong Wind Tornado Wildfire Winter Weather