Virginia flood insurance and flood history
From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 50,609 flood insurance claims in Virginia since 1978. The NFIP paid $771.8 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2003, with 11,938, mostly from Hurricane Isabel.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 3,123 claims, and the average paid claim was $27,583.
21% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 2.7% of homes in Virginia had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (72,514 of 2,733,160 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 100% (40,517 of 40,669).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 14 flood-related disaster declarations covering parts of Virginia. The most recent was DR-4863-VA (Severe Winter Storms and Flooding), declared April 4, 2025.
Flood insurance claims in Virginia by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51 | $189,287 |
| 2025 | 252 | $7.4 million |
| 2024 | 272 | $8.1 million |
| 2023 | 107 | $938,478 |
| 2022 | 185 | $1.8 million |
| 2021 | 228 | $2.2 million |
| 2020 | 605 | $9.6 million |
| 2019 | 413 | $8.6 million |
| 2018 | 848 | $17.5 million |
| 2017 | 162 | $1.6 million |
| 2016 | 2,806 | $77.6 million |
| 2015 | 524 | $5.1 million |
| 2014 | 479 | $6.9 million |
| 2013 | 355 | $3.6 million |
| 2012 | 1,484 | $24.6 million |
| 2011 | 3,395 | $42.1 million |
| 2010 | 430 | $2.6 million |
| 2009 | 6,719 | $106.1 million |
| 2008 | 304 | $2.5 million |
| 2007 | 60 | $296,688 |
| 2006 | 2,740 | $44.5 million |
| 2005 | 136 | $1.1 million |
| 2004 | 855 | $18.7 million |
| 2003 | 11,938 | $236.2 million |
| 2002 | 319 | $3.1 million |
| 2001 | 182 | $2.3 million |
| 2000 | 212 | $1.4 million |
| 1999 | 2,456 | $18.8 million |
| 1998 | 2,112 | $9.2 million |
| 1997 | 89 | $427,653 |
| 1996 | 1,939 | $33.1 million |
| 1995 | 458 | $4.7 million |
| 1994 | 195 | $1.5 million |
| 1993 | 154 | $729,020 |
| 1992 | 849 | $9.4 million |
| 1991 | 199 | $572,476 |
| 1990 | 181 | $603,402 |
| 1989 | 410 | $1.9 million |
| 1988 | 160 | $795,589 |
| 1987 | 621 | $4.4 million |
| 1986 | 61 | $131,049 |
| 1985 | 1,817 | $39.1 million |
| 1984 | 465 | $1.9 million |
| 1983 | 129 | $168,737 |
| 1982 | 475 | $1.3 million |
| 1981 | 106 | $316,792 |
| 1980 | 154 | $529,001 |
| 1979 | 546 | $2.2 million |
| 1978 | 972 | $3.5 million |
Biggest flood events by NFIP payments
The flood events FEMA's claims data names most often for Virginia, ranked by what the NFIP paid. FEMA names events in its claims records; claims without an event name aren't included here.
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003 | 11,108 | $225.4 million |
| November 2009 Nor'easter | 2009 | 6,286 | $103.0 million |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016 | 2,299 | $72.1 million |
| Flooding | 1985 | 1,557 | $37.7 million |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011 | 2,658 | $33.4 million |
| Tropical Storm Ernesto | 2006 | 1,380 | $23.1 million |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996 | 1,123 | $21.7 million |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999 | 1,984 | $16.6 million |
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012 | 984 | $14.8 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan | 2004 | 397 | $10.2 million |
What flood insurance costs in Virginia
On June 30, 2026, 89,539 NFIP flood insurance policies were in force in Virginia. For the 66,976 single-family homes among them, the typical (median) yearly cost was about $810; the average was $970.
| Rated flood zone | Policies | Typical yearly cost, single-family home | Average cost | Average building coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-risk zones (A and V) | 52,081 | $960 | $1,160 | $225,000 |
| Moderate- and low-risk zones (B, C and X) | 37,457 | $640 | $730 | $235,000 |
Cost here is what FEMA's data lists as the policy cost: the premium plus the reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge. It covers single-family homes only (not condos, apartments or businesses), with costs rounded to the nearest $10 and shown only where at least 20 homes back the figure. Your own price depends on your building and the coverage you choose; see how flood insurance is priced. Private flood insurance isn't included.
Policies and average cost by exact flood zone
Flood history by county
Every Virginia county in FEMA's data, sorted by number of NFIP claims since 1978. "Insured" is the share of homes with an NFIP policy; "typical NFIP cost" is the median yearly cost for single-family homes.
| County | Claims | Paid | Insured | Typical NFIP cost | Flood declarations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach city | 6,260 | $103.8 million | 12.1% | $740 | 1 |
| Norfolk city | 6,019 | $69.1 million | 14.1% | $760 | 1 |
| Hampton city | 5,774 | $73.7 million | 17.7% | $760 | 1 |
| Poquoson city | 4,290 | $72.9 million | 63.0% | $1,090 | 2 |
| Chesapeake city | 2,634 | $27.3 million | 8.3% | $710 | 1 |
| Portsmouth city | 1,748 | $20.0 million | 9.6% | $640 | 1 |
| York County | 1,569 | $34.0 million | 11.0% | $1,110 | 1 |
| Fairfax County | 1,488 | $16.5 million | 1.1% | $660 | 2 |
| Gloucester County | 1,378 | $30.9 million | 8.0% | $1,090 | 1 |
| Roanoke city | 1,184 | $20.2 million | 0.7% | $1,090 | 2 |
| Mathews County | 1,162 | $20.5 million | 20.2% | $1,310 | 1 |
| Accomack County | 1,114 | $12.6 million | 13.4% | $1,140 | 1 |
| Newport News city | 1,065 | $23.9 million | 2.7% | $590 | 2 |
| Salem city | 812 | $18.9 million | 1.5% | $1,190 | 2 |
| Roanoke County | 583 | $6.6 million | 0.7% | $1,110 | 2 |
| Richmond city | 547 | $11.8 million | 0.6% | $540 | 2 |
| Prince William County | 485 | $5.8 million | 1.3% | $690 | 1 |
| Tazewell County | 481 | $7.6 million | 0.7% | $1,290 | 8 |
| Alexandria city | 404 | $7.2 million | 2.4% | $960 | 2 |
| Lancaster County | 396 | $5.8 million | 6.1% | $1,310 | 1 |
| Northumberland County | 385 | $6.9 million | 6.1% | $1,310 | 1 |
| James City | 370 | $6.4 million | 2.8% | $740 | 1 |
| Warren County | 370 | $6.8 million | 0.8% | $1,490 | 1 |
| Waynesboro city | 367 | $6.0 million | 1.1% | $1,740 | 0 |
| Buchanan County | 360 | $4.6 million | 1.5% | $1,090 | 8 |
| Henrico County | 357 | $4.2 million | 1.1% | $690 | 1 |
| Wise County | 348 | $2.7 million | 1.1% | $1,410 | 5 |
| Rockbridge County | 313 | $5.1 million | 0.9% | $1,460 | 1 |
| Rockingham County | 282 | $4.5 million | 0.7% | $1,210 | 1 |
| Buena Vista city | 276 | $4.0 million | 0.8% | n/a | 0 |
| Chesterfield County | 268 | $3.6 million | 0.5% | $940 | 1 |
| Essex County | 241 | $5.9 million | 2.9% | $1,310 | 1 |
| Botetourt County | 239 | $3.7 million | 0.9% | $1,110 | 3 |
| Middlesex County | 234 | $3.2 million | 4.0% | $1,310 | 1 |
| Suffolk city | 234 | $5.2 million | 2.5% | $540 | 0 |
| Westmoreland County | 230 | $6.5 million | 2.3% | $1,290 | 1 |
| Arlington County | 215 | $1.9 million | 1.9% | $540 | 2 |
| Alleghany County | 213 | $2.9 million | 1.5% | $1,290 | 2 |
| Covington city | 206 | $1.9 million | 2.0% | $1,490 | 0 |
| Shenandoah County | 205 | $5.7 million | 0.5% | $1,440 | 2 |
| Page County | 188 | $3.6 million | 0.9% | $1,390 | 1 |
| Halifax County | 186 | $2.3 million | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Augusta County | 183 | $3.0 million | 0.5% | $1,210 | 0 |
| Isle of Wight County | 183 | $5.3 million | 1.5% | $560 | 2 |
| Montgomery County | 181 | $3.2 million | 0.5% | $1,210 | 3 |
| Loudoun County | 168 | $2.0 million | 0.9% | $690 | 1 |
| Danville city | 164 | $5.0 million | 0.2% | $840 | 1 |
| Stafford County | 164 | $1.4 million | 0.8% | $690 | 0 |
| Smyth County | 160 | $1.2 million | 1.0% | $890 | 4 |
| Lynchburg city | 151 | $4.1 million | 0.2% | $860 | 0 |
| Henry County | 148 | $2.5 million | 0.2% | $1,040 | 2 |
| Petersburg city | 129 | $2.3 million | 0.9% | $760 | 1 |
| Albemarle County | 123 | $1.3 million | 0.4% | $760 | 0 |
| Dickenson County | 118 | $513,599 | 0.3% | n/a | 5 |
| Franklin city | 106 | $5.0 million | 0.8% | n/a | 0 |
| Pulaski County | 99 | $2.7 million | 0.5% | $1,490 | 2 |
| Northampton County | 98 | $1.1 million | 5.0% | $990 | 2 |
| Craig County | 94 | $1.3 million | 1.3% | $1,290 | 4 |
| Southampton County | 91 | $3.5 million | 1.7% | $990 | 0 |
| King William County | 89 | $2.4 million | 0.9% | $1,390 | 2 |
| Giles County | 88 | $1.8 million | 1.1% | $1,390 | 3 |
| Washington County | 80 | $1.7 million | 0.5% | $1,160 | 3 |
| Colonial Heights city | 79 | $1.2 million | 0.7% | $1,140 | 1 |
| Falls Church city | 74 | $471,724 | 4.9% | $760 | 1 |
| Surry County | 70 | $2.7 million | 1.0% | $960 | 2 |
| Frederick County | 57 | $552,363 | 0.3% | $690 | 1 |
| Staunton city | 57 | $786,114 | 0.7% | $760 | 0 |
| Richmond County | 56 | $1.3 million | 1.5% | $1,540 | 1 |
| Harrisonburg city | 55 | $761,720 | 0.5% | $910 | 0 |
| Spotsylvania County | 54 | $162,735 | 0.8% | $790 | 0 |
| Amherst County | 53 | $756,454 | 0.3% | $1,210 | 0 |
| Fairfax city | 53 | $939,666 | 1.9% | $710 | 1 |
| Russell County | 52 | $440,938 | 0.4% | $1,360 | 5 |
| Bland County | 50 | $950,446 | 1.1% | $1,210 | 2 |
| Lee County | 50 | $733,164 | 0.3% | $1,110 | 5 |
| Norton city | 46 | $303,227 | 1.9% | n/a | 2 |
| Franklin County | 45 | $646,772 | 0.3% | $1,310 | 1 |
| Patrick County | 45 | $1.1 million | 0.2% | n/a | 1 |
| Charlottesville city | 44 | $287,321 | 0.6% | $990 | 0 |
| Fredericksburg city | 44 | $259,108 | 1.1% | $910 | 0 |
| Culpeper County | 43 | $721,897 | 0.2% | $960 | 0 |
| Prince Edward County | 40 | $460,578 | 0.2% | n/a | 2 |
| Hanover County | 39 | $625,064 | 0.4% | $660 | 1 |
| New Kent County | 36 | $597,544 | 1.1% | $1,140 | 1 |
| Prince George County | 36 | $322,294 | 0.6% | $610 | 2 |
| Scott County | 36 | $394,716 | 0.5% | $1,240 | 5 |
| Clarke County | 34 | $540,643 | 0.8% | $1,010 | 1 |
| Lexington city | 34 | $253,384 | 0.5% | n/a | 0 |
| Sussex County | 34 | $143,529 | 0.8% | $710 | 1 |
| Fauquier County | 33 | $175,371 | 0.4% | $960 | 1 |
| Nelson County | 31 | $237,967 | 0.4% | $1,260 | 0 |
| Wythe County | 31 | $386,823 | 0.7% | $910 | 3 |
| Campbell County | 30 | $414,971 | 0.1% | $710 | 2 |
| Greene County | 28 | $230,825 | 0.6% | $1,110 | 0 |
| Bedford County | 26 | $216,194 | 0.3% | $1,090 | 2 |
| Pittsylvania County | 26 | $430,663 | 0.0% | $940 | 3 |
| Manassas city | 25 | $119,372 | 0.4% | $840 | 1 |
| Bristol city | 24 | $127,744 | 0.2% | n/a | 1 |
| Fluvanna County | 23 | $276,616 | 0.3% | $640 | 0 |
| Carroll County | 22 | $239,485 | 0.2% | $1,110 | 1 |
| King and Queen County | 22 | $644,685 | 1.0% | $1,410 | 2 |
| Orange County | 20 | $279,047 | 0.5% | $690 | 1 |
| Floyd County | 19 | $725,083 | 0.2% | n/a | 4 |
| Madison County | 19 | $128,126 | 0.6% | $1,210 | 0 |
| Emporia city | 18 | $34,370 | 0.9% | n/a | 1 |
| Goochland County | 18 | $156,695 | 0.5% | $690 | 0 |
| Hopewell city | 18 | $170,737 | 0.2% | $1,010 | 1 |
| Williamsburg city | 18 | $84,430 | 0.9% | $560 | 0 |
| Winchester city | 17 | $100,601 | 0.9% | $760 | 1 |
| Bath County | 16 | $144,053 | 0.7% | $1,310 | 2 |
| King George County | 16 | $91,377 | 0.5% | $840 | 2 |
| Brunswick County | 12 | $34,708 | 0.1% | n/a | 0 |
| Cumberland County | 11 | $301,715 | 0.2% | n/a | 2 |
| Appomattox County | 9 | $256,136 | 0.1% | n/a | 2 |
| Charles City | 9 | $60,932 | 0.5% | n/a | 2 |
| Rappahannock County | 9 | $16,786 | 0.8% | $1,190 | 2 |
| Buckingham County | 8 | $58,019 | 0.1% | n/a | 1 |
| Caroline County | 8 | $42,227 | 0.4% | $740 | 1 |
| Dinwiddie County | 8 | $85,451 | 0.2% | $860 | 2 |
| Mecklenburg County | 8 | $72,397 | 0.3% | $1,090 | 1 |
| Amelia County | 7 | $123,035 | 0.1% | n/a | 1 |
| Grayson County | 6 | $11,403 | 0.2% | n/a | 1 |
| Highland County | 6 | $54,989 | 0.8% | n/a | 2 |
| Radford city | 6 | $492,970 | 0.3% | n/a | 0 |
| Greensville County | 5 | $38,810 | 0.2% | n/a | 2 |
| Manassas Park city | 5 | $9,145 | 0.3% | n/a | 1 |
| Louisa County | 4 | $36,477 | 0.0% | n/a | 0 |
| Charlotte County | 2 | $1,709 | 0.0% | n/a | 1 |
| Galax city | 2 | $3,227 | 0.0% | n/a | 2 |
| Nottoway County | 1 | $2,599 | 0.1% | n/a | 1 |
| Powhatan County | 1 | $4,867 | 0.4% | $610 | 1 |
| Lunenburg County | 0 | $0 | 0.0% | n/a | 2 |
| Martinsville city | 0 | $0 | 0.0% | n/a | 0 |
| Bedford city | 0 | $0 | n/a | n/a | 1 |
Flood-related FEMA disaster declarations in Virginia
Declarations since 2000 that FEMA lists as involving flooding. "Help for individuals" means FEMA's Individual Assistance was approved for at least part of the area.
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4863-VA | Apr 4, 2025 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-4674-VA | Sep 30, 2022 | Flooding and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4628-VA | Oct 26, 2021 | Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-1862-VA | Dec 9, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Ida and A Nor'East | No |
| DR-1661-VA | Sep 22, 2006 | Tropical Depression Ernesto, Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1655-VA | Jul 13, 2006 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-1570-VA | Oct 18, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding From the Remanants of Hurricane Jeanne | Yes |
| DR-1544-VA | Sep 3, 2004 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston | Yes |
| DR-1525-VA | Jun 15, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1502-VA | Dec 9, 2003 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1458-VA | Mar 27, 2003 | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,Floodind, and Mudslide | Yes |
| DR-1411-VA | May 5, 2002 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1406-VA | Apr 2, 2002 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1386-VA | Jul 12, 2001 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
What to do with this
A county's history doesn't tell you your own building's risk. To see your property's flood zone, use FEMA's flood map lookup. To weigh coverage, start with do I need flood insurance? and what flood insurance costs.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.