Virginia avalanche risk
Buchanan County has the highest avalanche risk in Virginia, scoring 74.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buchanan County | 74.3 | Relatively Low |
| 2 | Rockbridge County | 71.6 | Relatively Low |
| 3 | Lee County | 71.2 | Relatively Low |
| 4 | Patrick County | 69.6 | Relatively Low |
| 5 | Wise County | 69 | Relatively Low |
| 6 | Giles County | 68.9 | Relatively Low |
| 7 | Tazewell County | 68.4 | Relatively Low |
| 8 | Bath County | 68.3 | Relatively Low |
| 9 | Alleghany County | 67.8 | Relatively Low |
| 10 | Washington County | 67.5 | Relatively Low |
| 11 | Nelson County | 66.8 | Very Low |
| 12 | Augusta County | 65.9 | Very Low |
| 13 | Dickenson County | 65.8 | Very Low |
| 14 | Rockingham County | 64.9 | Very Low |
| 15 | Russell County | 64.8 | Very Low |
| 16 | Scott County | 64.6 | Very Low |
| 17 | Botetourt County | 63.2 | Very Low |
| 18 | Page County | 62.4 | Very Low |
| 19 | Highland County | 62.1 | Very Low |
| 20 | Smyth County | 61.4 | Very Low |
| 21 | Roanoke County | 59.9 | Very Low |
| 22 | Bedford County | 57.6 | Very Low |
| 23 | Montgomery County | 57.5 | Very Low |
| 24 | Amherst County | 56.7 | Very Low |
| 25 | Carroll County | 56.6 | Very Low |
| 26 | Bland County | 55.1 | Very Low |
| 27 | Pulaski County | 55 | Very Low |
| 28 | Shenandoah County | 53.2 | Very Low |
| 29 | Madison County | 53.1 | Very Low |
| 30 | Greene County | 51.9 | Very Low |
| 31 | Warren County | 49.6 | Very Low |
| 32 | Albemarle County | 49.4 | Very Low |
| 33 | Franklin County | 49.3 | Very Low |
| 34 | Wythe County | 48.5 | Very Low |
| 35 | Craig County | 47.8 | Very Low |
| 36 | Grayson County | 44.6 | Very Low |
| 37 | Floyd County | 39.9 | Very Low |
| 38 | Rappahannock County | 38.3 | Very Low |
| 39 | Greensville County | 23.1 | Very Low |
| 40 | Frederick County | 22.8 | Very Low |
| 41 | Appomattox County | 21.9 | Very Low |
| 42 | Pittsylvania County | 21.3 | Very Low |
| 43 | Loudoun County | 19.7 | Very Low |
| 44 | Roanoke | 18.6 | Very Low |
| 45 | Buena Vista | 12 | Very Low |
| 46 | Clarke County | 11.7 | Very Low |
| 47 | Buckingham County | 10.1 | Very Low |
| 48 | Fauquier County | 8.5 | Very Low |
| 49 | Henry County | 7.6 | Very Low |
| 50 | Hanover County | 6.7 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Avalanche risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest avalanche risk county in Virginia?
Buchanan County, VA has the highest avalanche risk in Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 74.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes avalanche risk in Virginia?
Avalanche risk reflects expected annual losses from snow avalanche events, primarily affecting mountain counties in the West. The highest scores belong to Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Washington counties where active ski terrain, mountain highways, and communities overlap with historically active avalanche paths and high seasonal snowpack. Avalanche events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.