492 flood insurance claims·$5.5M paid·2,142 policies in force
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around District of Columbia. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
District of Columbia experiences a mixed flood-risk profile dominated by frequent flash floods and standard riverine or low-lying floods, alongside notable coastal flood events. Over the last 30 years, NOAA data records 118 flash flood events, 82 general flood events, 67 coastal flood events, 3 tropical storms, and 2 storm surge or tide events.
Federal disaster declarations for District of Columbia reflect significant impacts from severe weather systems, including Hurricane Irene in August 2011, Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, and severe storms in June 2012, as well as severe winter storms and snowstorms in February 2010. These historical declarations underscore the area's vulnerability to both tropical weather systems and severe seasonal storms.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that flood risks and financial impacts vary significantly across FEMA zone categories. Zone X accounts for the highest volume of claims with 338 claims totaling $2 million paid, demonstrating that surprise claims frequently occur outside of high-risk areas. Meanwhile, Zone A represents a higher severity risk with 64 claims totaling $3 million paid, resulting in a substantially higher average payout per claim. Zone X_UNSHADED also records notable activity with 51 claims totaling $1 million paid, while zones such as X_SHADED, V, D, and UNKNOWN account for fewer claims. This distribution implies that while high-risk zones like Zone A require insurance most due to severe potential damage, residents in moderate-to-low risk zones like Zone X and X_UNSHADED still face meaningful flood risks and constitute a large share of overall claims.
Summary generated from FEMA disaster declarations, NOAA storm events, and NFIP claim data. Updated quarterly.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, Policies, and Disaster Declarations data. NFIP policies in force and average premium (premium plus federal policy fee) as of August 31, 2026, from OpenFEMA.
District of Columbia has received 24 federal disaster declarations and 3 hurricane declarations.
Properties in District of Columbia FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
District of Columbia had 2,142 NFIP policies in force on August 31, 2026, and the average NFIP premium was $474 a year (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top, and nationally they make actual bills about a quarter higher). Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 each building is priced on its own flood risk, so a state average says little about what any one home will pay.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from properties outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. District of Columbia residents can purchase flood insurance through the NFIP or private insurers.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.
See the most flood-prone counties in District of Columbia →
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