NIAGARA
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 4 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Roanoke County
- Operator
- APPALACHIAN POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1954
- EIA plant ID
- 3778
- Coordinates
- 37.2549, -79.8725
NIAGARA, a 4 MW Hydro power plant in Roanoke County, Virginia. Operated by APPALACHIAN POWER CO, commissioned 1954.
Weather peril exposure
NIAGARA is a 4 MW hydro power plant in Roanoke County, VA, operated by APPALACHIAN POWER CO, commissioned in 1954. Roanoke County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.4 of 5 at the 10th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 63rd 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.
Roanoke County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 44.3 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 3.4 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44th | 2.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 1.9 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 9.5 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 4.1 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.55 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.52 |
Perils not assessed in Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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.