Flood Help Guide

Virginia flood insurance and flood history

From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08

50,609NFIP flood claims since 1978
$771.8 millionPaid on those claims
$27,583Average paid claimlast 10 years
2.7%Homes with NFIP flood insurance
14Flood disaster declarationssince 2000

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

NFIP flood claims per year in Virginia, 1978 to 202605k10k15k20k1978: 972 claims, $3.5 million paid1979: 546 claims, $2.2 million paid1980: 154 claims, $529,001 paid19801981: 106 claims, $316,792 paid1982: 475 claims, $1.3 million paid1983: 129 claims, $168,737 paid1984: 465 claims, $1.9 million paid1985: 1,817 claims, $39.1 million paid1986: 61 claims, $131,049 paid1987: 621 claims, $4.4 million paid1988: 160 claims, $795,589 paid1989: 410 claims, $1.9 million paid1990: 181 claims, $603,402 paid19901991: 199 claims, $572,476 paid1992: 849 claims, $9.4 million paid1993: 154 claims, $729,020 paid1994: 195 claims, $1.5 million paid1995: 458 claims, $4.7 million paid1996: 1,939 claims, $33.1 million paid1997: 89 claims, $427,653 paid1998: 2,112 claims, $9.2 million paid1999: 2,456 claims, $18.8 million paid2000: 212 claims, $1.4 million paid20002001: 182 claims, $2.3 million paid2002: 319 claims, $3.1 million paid2003: 11,938 claims, $236.2 million paid2004: 855 claims, $18.7 million paid2005: 136 claims, $1.1 million paid2006: 2,740 claims, $44.5 million paid2007: 60 claims, $296,688 paid2008: 304 claims, $2.5 million paid2009: 6,719 claims, $106.1 million paid2010: 430 claims, $2.6 million paid20102011: 3,395 claims, $42.1 million paid2012: 1,484 claims, $24.6 million paid2013: 355 claims, $3.6 million paid2014: 479 claims, $6.9 million paid2015: 524 claims, $5.1 million paid2016: 2,806 claims, $77.6 million paid2017: 162 claims, $1.6 million paid2018: 848 claims, $17.5 million paid2019: 413 claims, $8.6 million paid2020: 605 claims, $9.6 million paid20202021: 228 claims, $2.2 million paid2022: 185 claims, $1.8 million paid2023: 107 claims, $938,478 paid2024: 272 claims, $8.1 million paid2025: 252 claims, $7.4 million paid2026: 51 claims, $189,287 paid
NFIP claims per year by year of loss. Hover or tap a bar for the count and amount paid. 2026 is partial.
Show as a table
YearClaimsPaid
202651$189,287
2025252$7.4 million
2024272$8.1 million
2023107$938,478
2022185$1.8 million
2021228$2.2 million
2020605$9.6 million
2019413$8.6 million
2018848$17.5 million
2017162$1.6 million
20162,806$77.6 million
2015524$5.1 million
2014479$6.9 million
2013355$3.6 million
20121,484$24.6 million
20113,395$42.1 million
2010430$2.6 million
20096,719$106.1 million
2008304$2.5 million
200760$296,688
20062,740$44.5 million
2005136$1.1 million
2004855$18.7 million
200311,938$236.2 million
2002319$3.1 million
2001182$2.3 million
2000212$1.4 million
19992,456$18.8 million
19982,112$9.2 million
199789$427,653
19961,939$33.1 million
1995458$4.7 million
1994195$1.5 million
1993154$729,020
1992849$9.4 million
1991199$572,476
1990181$603,402
1989410$1.9 million
1988160$795,589
1987621$4.4 million
198661$131,049
19851,817$39.1 million
1984465$1.9 million
1983129$168,737
1982475$1.3 million
1981106$316,792
1980154$529,001
1979546$2.2 million
1978972$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.

EventYearClaimsPaid
Hurricane Isabel200311,108$225.4 million
November 2009 Nor'easter20096,286$103.0 million
Hurricane Matthew20162,299$72.1 million
Flooding19851,557$37.7 million
Hurricane Irene20112,658$33.4 million
Tropical Storm Ernesto20061,380$23.1 million
Hurricane Fran19961,123$21.7 million
Hurricane Floyd19991,984$16.6 million
Hurricane Sandy2012984$14.8 million
Tropical Storm Ivan2004397$10.2 million

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.

CountyClaimsPaidInsuredFlood declarations
Virginia Beach city6,260$103.8 million12.1%1
Norfolk city6,019$69.1 million14.1%1
Hampton city5,774$73.7 million17.7%1
Poquoson city4,290$72.9 million63.0%2
Chesapeake city2,634$27.3 million8.3%1
Portsmouth city1,748$20.0 million9.6%1
York County1,569$34.0 million11.0%1
Fairfax County1,488$16.5 million1.1%2
Gloucester County1,378$30.9 million8.0%1
Roanoke city1,184$20.2 million0.7%2
Mathews County1,162$20.5 million20.2%1
Accomack County1,114$12.6 million13.4%1
Newport News city1,065$23.9 million2.7%2
Salem city812$18.9 million1.5%2
Roanoke County583$6.6 million0.7%2
Richmond city547$11.8 million0.6%2
Prince William County485$5.8 million1.3%1
Tazewell County481$7.6 million0.7%8
Alexandria city404$7.2 million2.4%2
Lancaster County396$5.8 million6.1%1
Northumberland County385$6.9 million6.1%1
James City370$6.4 million2.8%1
Warren County370$6.8 million0.8%1
Waynesboro city367$6.0 million1.1%0
Buchanan County360$4.6 million1.5%8
Henrico County357$4.2 million1.1%1
Wise County348$2.7 million1.1%5
Rockbridge County313$5.1 million0.9%1
Rockingham County282$4.5 million0.7%1
Buena Vista city276$4.0 million0.8%0
Chesterfield County268$3.6 million0.5%1
Essex County241$5.9 million2.9%1
Botetourt County239$3.7 million0.9%3
Middlesex County234$3.2 million4.0%1
Suffolk city234$5.2 million2.5%0
Westmoreland County230$6.5 million2.3%1
Arlington County215$1.9 million1.9%2
Alleghany County213$2.9 million1.5%2
Covington city206$1.9 million2.0%0
Shenandoah County205$5.7 million0.5%2
Page County188$3.6 million0.9%1
Halifax County186$2.3 million0.1%4
Augusta County183$3.0 million0.5%0
Isle of Wight County183$5.3 million1.5%2
Montgomery County181$3.2 million0.5%3
Loudoun County168$2.0 million0.9%1
Danville city164$5.0 million0.2%1
Stafford County164$1.4 million0.8%0
Smyth County160$1.2 million1.0%4
Lynchburg city151$4.1 million0.2%0
Henry County148$2.5 million0.2%2
Petersburg city129$2.3 million0.9%1
Albemarle County123$1.3 million0.4%0
Dickenson County118$513,5990.3%5
Franklin city106$5.0 million0.8%0
Pulaski County99$2.7 million0.5%2
Northampton County98$1.1 million5.0%2
Craig County94$1.3 million1.3%4
Southampton County91$3.5 million1.7%0
King William County89$2.4 million0.9%2
Giles County88$1.8 million1.1%3
Washington County80$1.7 million0.5%3
Colonial Heights city79$1.2 million0.7%1
Falls Church city74$471,7244.9%1
Surry County70$2.7 million1.0%2
Frederick County57$552,3630.3%1
Staunton city57$786,1140.7%0
Richmond County56$1.3 million1.5%1
Harrisonburg city55$761,7200.5%0
Spotsylvania County54$162,7350.8%0
Amherst County53$756,4540.3%0
Fairfax city53$939,6661.9%1
Russell County52$440,9380.4%5
Bland County50$950,4461.1%2
Lee County50$733,1640.3%5
Norton city46$303,2271.9%2
Franklin County45$646,7720.3%1
Patrick County45$1.1 million0.2%1
Charlottesville city44$287,3210.6%0
Fredericksburg city44$259,1081.1%0
Culpeper County43$721,8970.2%0
Prince Edward County40$460,5780.2%2
Hanover County39$625,0640.4%1
New Kent County36$597,5441.1%1
Prince George County36$322,2940.6%2
Scott County36$394,7160.5%5
Clarke County34$540,6430.8%1
Lexington city34$253,3840.5%0
Sussex County34$143,5290.8%1
Fauquier County33$175,3710.4%1
Nelson County31$237,9670.4%0
Wythe County31$386,8230.7%3
Campbell County30$414,9710.1%2
Greene County28$230,8250.6%0
Bedford County26$216,1940.3%2
Pittsylvania County26$430,6630.0%3
Manassas city25$119,3720.4%1
Bristol city24$127,7440.2%1
Fluvanna County23$276,6160.3%0
Carroll County22$239,4850.2%1
King and Queen County22$644,6851.0%2
Orange County20$279,0470.5%1
Floyd County19$725,0830.2%4
Madison County19$128,1260.6%0
Emporia city18$34,3700.9%1
Goochland County18$156,6950.5%0
Hopewell city18$170,7370.2%1
Williamsburg city18$84,4300.9%0
Winchester city17$100,6010.9%1
Bath County16$144,0530.7%2
King George County16$91,3770.5%2
Brunswick County12$34,7080.1%0
Cumberland County11$301,7150.2%2
Appomattox County9$256,1360.1%2
Charles City9$60,9320.5%2
Rappahannock County9$16,7860.8%2
Buckingham County8$58,0190.1%1
Caroline County8$42,2270.4%1
Dinwiddie County8$85,4510.2%2
Mecklenburg County8$72,3970.3%1
Amelia County7$123,0350.1%1
Grayson County6$11,4030.2%1
Highland County6$54,9890.8%2
Radford city6$492,9700.3%0
Greensville County5$38,8100.2%2
Manassas Park city5$9,1450.3%1
Louisa County4$36,4770.0%0
Charlotte County2$1,7090.0%1
Galax city2$3,2270.0%2
Nottoway County1$2,5990.1%1
Powhatan County1$4,8670.4%1
Lunenburg County0$00.0%2
Martinsville city0$00.0%0
Bedford city0$0n/a1

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.

DeclarationDeclaredEventHelp 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:

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.