SNOWDEN
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 5 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Bedford County
- Operator
- CITY OF BEDFORD - (VA)
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1987
- EIA plant ID
- 3821
- Coordinates
- 37.5736, -79.3715
SNOWDEN, a 5 MW Hydro power plant in Bedford County, Virginia. Operated by CITY OF BEDFORD - (VA), commissioned 1987.
Weather peril exposure
SNOWDEN is a 5 MW hydro power plant in Bedford County, VA, operated by CITY OF BEDFORD - (VA), commissioned in 1987. Bedford County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.3 of 5 at the 8th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 68th 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.
Bedford County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 43.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 29th | 2.2 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.15 |
| Hail | Very Low | 17th | 1.7 of 5 | 3.6 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 9.1 |
Perils not assessed in Bedford 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 Bedford 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.