Chatmoss, Virginia lies approximately 150 miles from the coast, which ordinarily might seem to lessen the town's vulnerability to hurricane impacts. However, due to the area's low elevation and geographical positioning between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountain ranges, it can still experience significant impacts when hurricanes or tropical storms move inland. Particularly, the town is at a risk for heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and subsequent river flooding as a result of these storm systems. The historical flood risk for Chatmoss is moderate given its proximity to several water bodies, especially the Smith River which runs nearby. One of the noteworthy storms in recent history to cause significant disruption in Chatmoss was Hurricane Fran in 1996. Heavy rains from Fran caused flooding on the Smith River and other watersheds, leading to property damage. More recently, remnants of Hurricane Michael in 2018 also brought heavy rains to the region that resulted in flash flooding. Hence, while Chatmoss might be somewhat shielded from more direct hurricane impacts such as storm-surge flooding and high winds, it is certainly not immune from secondary impacts like inland flooding, and these risks should not be underestimated.