Floodplains
Virginia flood facts
- DCR coordinates all flood protection programs and activities in the state.
- Virginia has about 2.3 million acres of mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas – 9 percent of Virginia’s land.
- 292 of Virginia’s 323 communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- Twenty-six communities exceed minimum floodplain requirements to participate in the Community Rating System (CRS).
- CRS discounts save Virginians nearly $7 million annually on flood insurance policies.
Flood insurance facts
- The best way to protect the life you’ve built is to insure your home and business with flood insurance.
- Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.
- One inch of water can result in more than $25,000 of damage to your home.
- A flood insurance policy takes 30 days to become effective. Purchase flood insurance well in advance of flood-prone seasons.
- Learn more about why to buy flood insurance.
- Learn more about how to buy flood insurance.
Richmond's 17th Street Farmers' Market flooded during Tropical Storm Gaston in 2004.Did you know?
- Floods are the most common and costly natural disaster.
- About 200 Americans lose their lives in floods each year.
- 90 percent of all presidential declarations of emergency and major disasters involve flooding.
- 20,000 American communities have special flood-hazard areas with a total of more than 7.4 million buildings.
- On average, flood damages throughout the nation annually exceed $3 billion. Since 1976, flood insurance claims in Virginia have totaled more than $744 million with over $110 million flood insurance claims occurring since 2015.
- Direct and indirect costs of flood recovery are borne by all American taxpayers, not just flood victims.
Flood Cost Calculator
Click the tool below to see how much flood damage – even from just a few inches of water – could cost you.
More about floodplain management
Department of Conservation and Recreation
