Sinkhole risk in Rappahannock County, VA: No soluble rock mapped

What to do about a house in Rappahannock County

No soluble bedrock is mapped here, so natural sinkholes are unlikely. Collapses from broken pipes or old mines are a separate risk.

Across 266 square miles, under one square mile of Rappahannock County maps onto soluble rock. With about 7,479 residents (28 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 553 map points about 0.7 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Read next: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Rappahannock County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Clarke County, VA, about 31 miles north, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

• Warren County, VA 16 mi north · 23% at surface
• Culpeper County, VA 18 mi southeast · under 1% at surface
• Page County, VA 18 mi west · 37% at surface
• Fauquier County, VA 19 mi east · under 1% at surface
• Madison County, VA 20 mi south · 1% at surface
• Shenandoah County, VA 25 mi northwest · 50% at surface

Against the rest of Virginia

Rappahannock County ranks 117 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.

• Lexington city 100%
• Salem city 100%
• Roanoke city 98%
• Winchester city 90%
• Bristol city 89%