How much flood risk does Smyth County actually carry?
Smyth County lands at the 61.9th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.4 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Smyth County
16% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Smyth County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 124 policies against 776 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Smyth County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Smyth County against the rest of the country
Smyth County sits at rank 1250 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1466 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Smyth County, Virginia covers 451.439 square miles and counts roughly 29,137 residents.
Your street may differ from Smyth County's average
134 of Smyth County's 12,862 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Smyth 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.