CUSHAW
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 8 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Amherst County
- Operator
- VIRGINIA ELECTRIC & POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1930
- EIA plant ID
- 3798
- Coordinates
- 37.5928, -79.3813
CUSHAW, an 8 MW Hydro power plant in Amherst County, Virginia. Operated by VIRGINIA ELECTRIC & POWER CO, commissioned 1930.
Weather peril exposure
CUSHAW is an 8 MW hydro power plant in Amherst County, VA, operated by VIRGINIA ELECTRIC & POWER CO, commissioned in 1930. Amherst County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.5 of 5 at the 12th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 84th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Amherst County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 42.8 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 10.3 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 0.10 |
| Hail | Very Low | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.2 |
Perils not assessed in Amherst County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Amherst County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.