Bath County, VA Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by landslide. 320 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $2.88M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 320
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 20
- 0.7% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1878
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 5.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 53.9 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 71.2 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.32B · Agriculture value exposed: $8.69M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.32M
Risk by hazard
- LandslideRelatively Low$23.74K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$540K/yr expected annual loss, about 41 events a year
- AvalancheRelatively Low$3,352/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- HurricaneVery Low$53.41K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 38 years
- Cold waveVery Low$269K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.6 events a year
- DroughtVery Low$8,723/yr expected annual loss, about 2.5 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$29.32K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,236 years
- WildfireVery Low$7,292/yr expected annual loss, about once every 924 years
- Winter weatherVery Low$12.92K/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year
- Strong windVery Low$76.12K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.1 events a year
- HailVery Low$21.63K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- Ice stormVery Low$2,672/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- TornadoVery Low$13.18K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 20 years
- Heat waveVery Low$6/yr expected annual loss, about once every 587 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 20 of 2,920 (0.7%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 173
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 10 (6%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 16
- Claims paid since 1978
- $144K
Flood claims paid per year
- Hurricane Fran$56.35K · 6 claims
- Flooding$34.14K · 2 claims
- Hurricane Michael$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 320 events, 1 death, $10.59M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind80
- High Wind47
- Winter Storm35
- Heavy Snow31
- Hail30
- Flash Flood27
- Ice Storm16
- Drought15
- Flood12
- Heavy Rain8
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Lightning09/14/2019
Thomastown, Bath County
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
A 12-year old male went outside to play in a wooden area after rain had stopped falling, and a thunderstorm had moved out of the area. Lightning struck the child. First responders determined that the child did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Air support for medical transport was requested, but was not available due to weather conditions in the area. The child was transported by ambulance to nearby hospital where he was revived by medial staff. The child was transported again by ambulance to a larger hospital. It was at this larger hospital where the child died.
- Flash Flood01/19/1996
Countywide, Bath County
$6.5M damage
- Wildfire04/09/2012
Bath
$2.22M damage
What happened
This fire was known as the Rich Hole Fire affecting Bath, Alleghany, and Rockbridge counties in west central Virginia. This was the largest single wildfire in Virginia's history. The fire affected the George Washington National Forest and the Rich Hole Wilderness area. The cause of the fire was believed to have been human. The fire burned for nine days and burned 15,454 acres, of which 14,960 was federal land and 494 was private land. No structures were burned. Suppression costs were $1.622 million and rehabilitation costs were $60,355.
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind06/30/2012
Mountain Grove, Bath County
$320K damage
What happened
Thunderstorm winds downed thousands of trees and many power lines down across the county. Damage occurred to a home when one tree fell upon it. Cars also sustained damage when trees fell on them. Damage values are estimated.
- Flash Flood04/12/2011
Ft Lewis, Bath County
$200K damage
- Flash Flood04/16/2011
Mitchelltown, Bath County
$200K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Drought06/01/2026
Bath
- Drought05/01/2026
Bath
- Drought04/21/2026
Bath
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill01/27/2026
Bath
- Winter Storm01/24/2026
Bath
- High Wind50 kt wind12/30/2025
Bath
$3,000 damage
- Winter Storm12/08/2025
Bath
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/17/2025
Nimrod Hall, Bath County
$500 damage
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Bath County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1878)09/01/1878 · Landfall: FL, SC · 970 mbTropical storm58 mph nearby
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 5,514 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- The Homestead Water CompanyServes 2,058 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · PrivateNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Bath County Regional - BcsaServes 1,418 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Millboro - BcsaServes 690 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Ashwood - BcsaServes 500 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Thomastown/Crowdertown/Switchback - BcsaServes 325 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Clifton Forge Mountain - BcsaServes 280 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Cedar Creek - BcsaServes 243 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Hot Springs, 6.4 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 82°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 22°F in Jan. About 46.5 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 25.3 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 22°F | 3.64 in | 8.0 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 23°F | 3.13 in | 7.0 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 30°F | 4.31 in | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 39°F | 4.30 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 4.69 in | - |
| Jun | 79°F | 56°F | 4.31 in | - |
| Jul | 82°F | 60°F | 4.22 in | - |
| Aug | 80°F | 59°F | 3.59 in | - |
| Sep | 74°F | 53°F | 4.13 in | - |
| Oct | 64°F | 41°F | 3.14 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 31°F | 3.35 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 25°F | 3.69 in | 4.5 in |
| Year | 51°F average | 46.5 in | 25.3 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Bath County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Bath County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk8 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Bath County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Bath County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $2.88M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively low), lightning (relatively moderate), avalanche (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Bath County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 320 storm events affecting Bath County, most often thunderstorm wind (80), high wind (47), winter storm (35).
- How many homes in Bath County have flood insurance?
- 20 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Bath County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $144K on 16 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Bath County?
- At Hot Springs, average highs reach 82°F in Jul and lows fall to 22°F in Jan, with 46.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.