Lightning Risk in Virginia
All Virginia counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 133 of 133 Virginia counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Fairfax County carries the state's highest lightning score at 97.9, with $4M in expected annual lightning losses.
8 Virginia counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $41M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | Very High | 40.94 / yr | $4M | |
| 2 | Prince William County | High | 41.11 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Henrico County | High | 43.35 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Norfolk City | High | 40.70 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Loudoun County | High | 38.50 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Virginia Beach City | High | 40.25 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Arlington County | High | 40.91 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Chesterfield County | High | 43.60 / yr | $1M | |
| 9 | Alexandria City | Medium | 41.46 / yr | $961K | |
| 10 | Roanoke City | Medium | 44.11 / yr | $591K | |
| 11 | Fauquier County | Medium | 40.45 / yr | $999K | |
| 12 | Albemarle County | Medium | 41.30 / yr | $683K | |
| 13 | Rockingham County | Medium | 38.66 / yr | $669K | |
| 14 | Spotsylvania County | Medium | 39.90 / yr | $933K | |
| 15 | Campbell County | Medium | 42.93 / yr | $564K | |
| 16 | Newport News City | Medium | 41.95 / yr | $642K | |
| 17 | Rockbridge County | Medium | 42.55 / yr | $532K | |
| 18 | Stafford County | Medium | 40.18 / yr | $865K | |
| 19 | Bath County | Medium | 41.40 / yr | $540K | |
| 20 | Halifax County | Medium | 44.23 / yr | $353K | |
| 21 | Lynchburg City | Medium | 43.08 / yr | $537K | |
| 22 | Louisa County | Medium | 40.46 / yr | $543K | |
| 23 | Culpeper County | Medium | 40.70 / yr | $548K | |
| 24 | Bedford County | Medium | 43.11 / yr | $554K | |
| 25 | Augusta County | Medium | 40.77 / yr | $471K | |
| 26 | Roanoke County | Medium | 44.31 / yr | $553K | |
| 27 | Portsmouth City | Medium | 40.84 / yr | $467K | |
| 28 | James City County | Medium | 42.90 / yr | $512K | |
| 29 | Hampton City | Medium | 38.87 / yr | $419K | |
| 30 | Suffolk City | Medium | 45.54 / yr | $446K | |
| 31 | Alleghany County | Medium | 42.31 / yr | $336K | |
| 32 | Fredericksburg City | Medium | 40.09 / yr | $543K | |
| 33 | Montgomery County | Medium | 44.25 / yr | $348K | |
| 34 | Pittsylvania County | Medium | 44.02 / yr | $219K | |
| 35 | Hanover County | Medium | 42.15 / yr | $502K | |
| 36 | Harrisonburg City | Medium | 38.44 / yr | $318K | |
| 37 | Richmond City | Medium | 43.39 / yr | $308K | |
| 38 | Franklin County | Medium | 44.26 / yr | $252K | |
| 39 | Washington County | Medium | 49.03 / yr | $256K | |
| 40 | Henry County | Low | 45.15 / yr | $193K | |
| 41 | Buckingham County | Low | 41.25 / yr | $200K | |
| 42 | Grayson County | Low | 47.65 / yr | $202K | |
| 43 | Manassas City | Low | 41.04 / yr | $320K | |
| 44 | Chesapeake City | Low | 42.26 / yr | $345K | |
| 45 | Falls Church City | Low | 41.46 / yr | $493K | |
| 46 | Amherst County | Low | 42.76 / yr | $209K | |
| 47 | Charlottesville City | Low | 41.17 / yr | $287K | |
| 48 | Danville City | Low | 46.03 / yr | $156K | |
| 49 | Carroll County | Low | 47.91 / yr | $157K | |
| 50 | Warren County | Low | 39.56 / yr | $272K | |
| 51 | Frederick County | Low | 37.63 / yr | $297K | |
| 52 | Lee County | Low | 52.76 / yr | $117K | |
| 53 | Shenandoah County | Low | 38.24 / yr | $177K | |
| 54 | Smyth County | Low | 46.60 / yr | $150K | |
| 55 | Scott County | Low | 51.13 / yr | $126K | |
| 56 | Lexington City | Low | 42.56 / yr | $161K | |
| 57 | Tazewell County | Low | 46.40 / yr | $135K | |
| 58 | Russell County | Low | 48.59 / yr | $127K | |
| 59 | Mecklenburg County | Low | 44.88 / yr | $119K | |
| 60 | Botetourt County | Low | 42.78 / yr | $217K | |
| 61 | York County | Low | 41.58 / yr | $279K | |
| 62 | Orange County | Low | 40.59 / yr | $207K | |
| 63 | Nottoway County | Low | 42.82 / yr | $101K | |
| 64 | Prince Edward County | Low | 41.80 / yr | $102K | |
| 65 | Staunton City | Low | 40.50 / yr | $158K | |
| 66 | Covington City | Low | 41.83 / yr | $147K | |
| 67 | Caroline County | Low | 40.40 / yr | $163K | |
| 68 | Wythe County | Low | 45.33 / yr | $110K | |
| 69 | Page County | Low | 38.68 / yr | $114K | |
| 70 | Fairfax City | Low | 41.46 / yr | $211K | |
| 71 | Pulaski County | Low | 44.80 / yr | $108K | |
| 72 | Bristol City | Low | 49.37 / yr | $92K | |
| 73 | Nelson County | Low | 41.98 / yr | $111K | |
| 74 | Petersburg City | Low | 44.09 / yr | $111K | |
| 75 | Greene County | Low | 40.30 / yr | $129K | |
| 76 | Isle of Wight County | Low | 44.75 / yr | $156K | |
| 77 | Manassas Park City | Low | 41.27 / yr | $131K | |
| 78 | Buena Vista City | Low | 42.54 / yr | $113K | |
| 79 | Fluvanna County | Low | 40.23 / yr | $131K | |
| 80 | Salem City | Low | 44.61 / yr | $154K | |
| 81 | Giles County | Low | 43.17 / yr | $94K | |
| 82 | Hopewell City | Low | 44.09 / yr | $75K | |
| 83 | Charlotte County | Low | 42.87 / yr | $66K | |
| 84 | Waynesboro City | Low | 41.19 / yr | $133K | |
| 85 | Winchester City | Low | 37.47 / yr | $99K | |
| 86 | Powhatan County | Low | 41.84 / yr | $132K | |
| 87 | Westmoreland County | Low | 39.97 / yr | $78K | |
| 88 | Prince George County | Low | 44.08 / yr | $139K | |
| 89 | King George County | Low | 39.86 / yr | $138K | |
| 90 | Goochland County | Low | 40.88 / yr | $119K | |
| 91 | Gloucester County | Low | 41.15 / yr | $103K | |
| 92 | Dinwiddie County | Low | 43.84 / yr | $89K | |
| 93 | Buchanan County | Low | 48.57 / yr | $56K | |
| 94 | Lunenburg County | Very Low | 42.66 / yr | $45K | |
| 95 | Appomattox County | Very Low | 41.74 / yr | $80K | |
| 96 | Accomack County | Very Low | 33.98 / yr | $53K | |
| 97 | Madison County | Very Low | 40.82 / yr | $78K | |
| 98 | Southampton County | Very Low | 45.90 / yr | $67K | |
| 99 | Cumberland County | Very Low | 41.11 / yr | $50K | |
| 100 | Brunswick County | Very Low | 44.22 / yr | $53K | |
| 101 | Wise County | Very Low | 51.10 / yr | $54K | |
| 102 | New Kent County | Very Low | 43.26 / yr | $79K | |
| 103 | Patrick County | Very Low | 47.88 / yr | $53K | |
| 104 | Greensville County | Very Low | 45.69 / yr | $38K | |
| 105 | Martinsville City | Very Low | 44.32 / yr | $44K | |
| 106 | Rappahannock County | Very Low | 40.24 / yr | $54K | |
| 107 | Amelia County | Very Low | 42.73 / yr | $56K | |
| 108 | Essex County | Very Low | 40.85 / yr | $41K | |
| 109 | Highland County | Very Low | 39.79 / yr | $50K | |
| 110 | Middlesex County | Very Low | 41.12 / yr | $38K | |
| 111 | Clarke County | Very Low | 37.50 / yr | $74K | |
| 112 | Northampton County | Very Low | 35.72 / yr | $31K | |
| 113 | King William County | Very Low | 42.79 / yr | $70K | |
| 114 | Colonial Heights City | Very Low | 44.09 / yr | $60K | |
| 115 | Franklin City | Very Low | 46.42 / yr | $35K | |
| 116 | Dickenson County | Very Low | 50.34 / yr | $34K | |
| 117 | Sussex County | Very Low | 44.86 / yr | $34K | |
| 118 | Radford City | Very Low | 43.13 / yr | $49K | |
| 119 | Northumberland County | Very Low | 38.80 / yr | $29K | |
| 120 | Williamsburg City | Very Low | 41.58 / yr | $65K | |
| 121 | Richmond County | Very Low | 39.93 / yr | $31K | |
| 122 | Galax City | Very Low | 49.15 / yr | $30K | |
| 123 | Lancaster County | Very Low | 39.95 / yr | $28K | |
| 124 | King and Queen County | Very Low | 42.19 / yr | $24K | |
| 125 | Charles City County | Very Low | 43.96 / yr | $25K | |
| 126 | Floyd County | Very Low | 45.79 / yr | $35K | |
| 127 | Craig County | Very Low | 43.08 / yr | $27K | |
| 128 | Poquoson City | Very Low | 39.52 / yr | $61K | |
| 129 | Mathews County | Very Low | 39.66 / yr | $22K | |
| 130 | Bland County | Very Low | 44.51 / yr | $25K | |
| 131 | Surry County | Very Low | 43.81 / yr | $25K | |
| 132 | Emporia City | Very Low | 46.02 / yr | $20K | |
| 133 | Norton City | Very Low | 50.70 / yr | $6K |
133 Virginia counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Virginia counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Virginia county has the highest lightning risk?
Fairfax County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Virginia at 97.9 (Very High), with $4M in expected annual losses and about 40.94 events per year.
How many Virginia counties face significant lightning risk?
133 Virginia counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 8 of them are rated High or Very High.