Is Alleghany County, VA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Alleghany County's flood hazard at the 56.3th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.1 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
11.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Alleghany County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 89 policies against 757 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Alleghany County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Alleghany County compares nationally
Alleghany County sits at rank 1438 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2114 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 14,632 people live in Alleghany County, Virginia, spread over 446.572 square miles.
Checking a specific address in Alleghany County
Across all of Alleghany County's 7,591 residential structures, 115 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Alleghany County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.