FEMA rates relative lightning risk for the City of Virginia Beach as relatively high and reports FEMA annualized frequency of 76.633 per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for the City of Virginia Beach reports FEMA annualized frequency of 76.633 per year for lightning. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is relatively high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for City of Virginia Beach.
Lightning
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
93.9/100
Occurrence thresholds vary by hazard. The FEMA methodology defines the value for each hazard.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across City of Virginia Beach. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For Virginia Beach, FEMA rates lightning risk for the City of Virginia Beach as relatively high, with a relative score of 93.9/100. The next highest relative scores are hurricane at 92.0/100 and coastal flooding at 91.3/100.
Using FEMA data for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach is #1 among 16 covered Virginia entries for lightning risk. Chesapeake is about 15 straight-line miles from the Virginia Beach map point; its FEMA figures cover the City of Chesapeake.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Virginia Beach? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Virginia Beach. All FEMA figures on this page cover the City of Virginia Beach.
The FEMA figures cover the City of Virginia Beach. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative lightning risk for the City of Virginia Beach as relatively high. Its FEMA annualized frequency is 76.633 per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 16 Virginia cities covered by this directory, Virginia Beach is #1 for relative lightning risk based on FEMA's score for the City of Virginia Beach. Homes within Virginia Beach can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for the City of Virginia Beach, the highest relative ratings are Lightning (Relatively High), Hurricane (Relatively Moderate), and Coastal Flooding (Relatively Moderate). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover the City of Virginia Beach. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives the City of Virginia Beach an overall relative risk rating of relatively moderate. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Confirm the exact hazard using official local maps before making property or insurance decisions. Know how local officials issue warnings and evacuation instructions. Use Ready.gov Be Informed and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Distances are measured between city coordinates.
| City | Distance | Lightning rating | Relative score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake, VA | 15 mi | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 |
| Norfolk, VA | 16 mi | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 |
| Portsmouth, VA | 19 mi | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 |
| Hampton, VA | 28 mi | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 |
| Suffolk, VA | 33 mi | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 |
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View productHazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.