Heat Wave Risk in Virginia
All Virginia counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index heat wave score
Heat Wave risk — prolonged periods of extreme heat that threaten health and infrastructure — is rated for 118 of 133 Virginia counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Fairfax County carries the state's highest heat wave score at 97.1, with $13M in expected annual heat wave losses.
1 Virginia county is rated High or Very High for heat wave, and expected annual losses from heat wave total roughly $84M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Heat Wave
| # | County | Heat Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | High | 5.88 / yr | $13M | |
| 2 | Prince William County | Medium | 5.70 / yr | $6M | |
| 3 | Virginia Beach City | Medium | 6.07 / yr | $5M | |
| 4 | Loudoun County | Medium | 4.52 / yr | $5M | |
| 5 | Arlington County | Medium | 6.30 / yr | $4M | |
| 6 | Alexandria City | Medium | 6.34 / yr | $3M | |
| 7 | Richmond City | Medium | 5.37 / yr | $3M | |
| 8 | Norfolk City | Medium | 6.19 / yr | $3M | |
| 9 | Chesapeake City | Medium | 6.88 / yr | $3M | |
| 10 | Henrico County | Medium | 5.28 / yr | $3M | |
| 11 | Chesterfield County | Medium | 5.29 / yr | $3M | |
| 12 | Newport News City | Medium | 6.20 / yr | $2M | |
| 13 | Stafford County | Medium | 6.07 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Hampton City | Low | 6.08 / yr | $1M | |
| 15 | Spotsylvania County | Low | 5.91 / yr | $2M | |
| 16 | Portsmouth City | Low | 6.12 / yr | $1M | |
| 17 | Rockingham County | Low | 2.10 / yr | $1M | |
| 18 | Suffolk City | Low | 6.79 / yr | $1M | |
| 19 | Albemarle County | Low | 3.78 / yr | $917K | |
| 20 | Frederick County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $1M | |
| 21 | Charlottesville City | Low | 3.89 / yr | $857K | |
| 22 | Fauquier County | Low | 4.47 / yr | $965K | |
| 23 | James City County | Low | 6.26 / yr | $782K | |
| 24 | Culpeper County | Low | 4.69 / yr | $598K | |
| 25 | Hanover County | Low | 4.66 / yr | $870K | |
| 26 | Manassas City | Low | 5.79 / yr | $626K | |
| 27 | Clarke County | Low | 3.53 / yr | $681K | |
| 28 | Augusta County | Low | 1.67 / yr | $388K | |
| 29 | Pittsylvania County | Low | 2.16 / yr | $298K | |
| 30 | Accomack County | Low | 5.00 / yr | $296K | |
| 31 | York County | Low | 6.09 / yr | $702K | |
| 32 | Mecklenburg County | Low | 4.16 / yr | $292K | |
| 33 | Danville City | Low | 2.16 / yr | $265K | |
| 34 | Petersburg City | Low | 5.63 / yr | $316K | |
| 35 | Isle of Wight County | Low | 6.80 / yr | $462K | |
| 36 | Winchester City | Low | 3.26 / yr | $331K | |
| 37 | Warren County | Low | 3.23 / yr | $446K | |
| 38 | Halifax County | Low | 2.37 / yr | $205K | |
| 39 | Hopewell City | Low | 5.63 / yr | $220K | |
| 40 | Shenandoah County | Low | 2.85 / yr | $276K | |
| 41 | Gloucester County | Low | 5.69 / yr | $345K | |
| 42 | Lynchburg City | Low | 1.89 / yr | $275K | |
| 43 | Prince George County | Low | 5.63 / yr | $396K | |
| 44 | Southampton County | Low | 6.62 / yr | $259K | |
| 45 | Manassas Park City | Low | 5.79 / yr | $288K | |
| 46 | Orange County | Low | 4.75 / yr | $337K | |
| 47 | Dinwiddie County | Low | 5.42 / yr | $261K | |
| 48 | Fairfax City | Low | 5.89 / yr | $383K | |
| 49 | Louisa County | Low | 3.64 / yr | $241K | |
| 50 | Harrisonburg City | Low | 2.16 / yr | $249K | |
| 51 | Campbell County | Low | 1.89 / yr | $209K | |
| 52 | Greensville County | Low | 6.05 / yr | $140K | |
| 53 | Caroline County | Low | 4.53 / yr | $246K | |
| 54 | Fredericksburg City | Low | 5.93 / yr | $343K | |
| 55 | Brunswick County | Very Low | 5.16 / yr | $163K | |
| 56 | Westmoreland County | Very Low | 4.79 / yr | $161K | |
| 57 | Henry County | Very Low | 1.21 / yr | $131K | |
| 58 | King George County | Very Low | 5.89 / yr | $296K | |
| 59 | Prince Edward County | Very Low | 3.58 / yr | $127K | |
| 60 | Nottoway County | Very Low | 4.21 / yr | $120K | |
| 61 | Page County | Very Low | 2.62 / yr | $146K | |
| 62 | Franklin City | Very Low | 6.58 / yr | $131K | |
| 63 | Lunenburg County | Very Low | 4.05 / yr | $98K | |
| 64 | Fluvanna County | Very Low | 3.53 / yr | $185K | |
| 65 | Powhatan County | Very Low | 4.07 / yr | $207K | |
| 66 | New Kent County | Very Low | 5.44 / yr | $201K | |
| 67 | Sussex County | Very Low | 6.32 / yr | $119K | |
| 68 | Northampton County | Very Low | 4.43 / yr | $104K | |
| 69 | Northumberland County | Very Low | 4.95 / yr | $99K | |
| 70 | Falls Church City | Very Low | 6.34 / yr | $273K | |
| 71 | Greene County | Very Low | 3.38 / yr | $150K | |
| 72 | Bedford County | Very Low | 1.00 / yr | $153K | |
| 73 | Roanoke City | Very Low | 0.53 / yr | $106K | |
| 74 | Lancaster County | Very Low | 5.11 / yr | $96K | |
| 75 | Colonial Heights City | Very Low | 5.22 / yr | $164K | |
| 76 | Goochland County | Very Low | 3.89 / yr | $162K | |
| 77 | Middlesex County | Very Low | 5.27 / yr | $89K | |
| 78 | Buckingham County | Very Low | 2.53 / yr | $82K | |
| 79 | Essex County | Very Low | 4.80 / yr | $91K | |
| 80 | Nelson County | Very Low | 3.08 / yr | $93K | |
| 81 | Madison County | Very Low | 3.77 / yr | $124K | |
| 82 | King William County | Very Low | 5.05 / yr | $161K | |
| 83 | Richmond County | Very Low | 4.95 / yr | $82K | |
| 84 | Rappahannock County | Very Low | 3.63 / yr | $94K | |
| 85 | Amelia County | Very Low | 4.28 / yr | $99K | |
| 86 | Franklin County | Very Low | 0.68 / yr | $82K | |
| 87 | Mathews County | Very Low | 5.37 / yr | $73K | |
| 88 | Williamsburg City | Very Low | 6.25 / yr | $151K | |
| 89 | Charlotte County | Very Low | 2.53 / yr | $57K | |
| 90 | Roanoke County | Very Low | 0.52 / yr | $104K | |
| 91 | Staunton City | Very Low | 1.74 / yr | $94K | |
| 92 | Charles City County | Very Low | 5.74 / yr | $65K | |
| 93 | Emporia City | Very Low | 6.05 / yr | $72K | |
| 94 | King and Queen County | Very Low | 5.07 / yr | $54K | |
| 95 | Waynesboro City | Very Low | 1.74 / yr | $94K | |
| 96 | Cumberland County | Very Low | 3.68 / yr | $53K | |
| 97 | Poquoson City | Very Low | 6.04 / yr | $138K | |
| 98 | Amherst County | Very Low | 1.21 / yr | $61K | |
| 99 | Surry County | Very Low | 6.26 / yr | $64K | |
| 100 | Appomattox County | Very Low | 2.32 / yr | $64K | |
| 101 | Martinsville City | Very Low | 1.21 / yr | $36K | |
| 102 | Buchanan County | Very Low | 0.26 / yr | $14K | |
| 103 | Salem City | Very Low | 0.53 / yr | $27K | |
| 104 | Botetourt County | Very Low | 0.42 / yr | $25K | |
| 105 | Rockbridge County | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $15K | |
| 106 | Patrick County | Very Low | 0.26 / yr | $9K | |
| 107 | Dickenson County | Very Low | 0.21 / yr | $7K | |
| 108 | Lexington City | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $5K | |
| 109 | Buena Vista City | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $4K | |
| 110 | Lee County | Very Low | 0.05 / yr | $3K | |
| 111 | Scott County | Very Low | 0.05 / yr | $3K | |
| 112 | Alleghany County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $3K | |
| 113 | Covington City | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $1K | |
| 114 | Highland County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $555 | |
| 115 | Montgomery County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $13 | |
| 116 | Floyd County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8 | |
| 117 | Bath County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6 | |
| 118 | Craig County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $0 |
118 Virginia counties with measurable heat wave risk. See the national heat wave ranking or all Virginia counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Virginia county has the highest heat wave risk?
Fairfax County has the highest FEMA heat wave risk score in Virginia at 97.1 (High), with $13M in expected annual losses and about 5.88 events per year.
How many Virginia counties face significant heat wave risk?
118 Virginia counties record measurable heat wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 1 of them are rated High or Very High.