404 flood insurance claims·$7.2M paid·6 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Alexandria city, Virginia. 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and coastal flooding from strong onshore winds and high tides characterize the flood risk in the City of Alexandria. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 44 flash flood events, 27 coastal flood events, 24 general flood events, 5 tropical storm events, and 2 storm surge or tide events. Recent activity includes a July 2025 flash flood event driven by rain rates approaching five to six inches an hour, as well as a January 2024 coastal flood event where strong southeast winds gusting up to 52 mph raised water levels along the Potomac River, followed by a prolonged period of onshore flow and high astronomical tides in September 2024.
Federal insurance data reflects vulnerability across different zones. Properties in FEMA Zone X accumulated 218 NFIP claims with an average payout of $17,019 and an average recorded water depth of 24 inches. Zone A properties recorded 166 claims with an average payout of $38,003 and an average water depth of 26 inches. Zone X Unshaded properties recorded 13 claims with an average payout of $7,953 and an average water depth of 1 inch, while Zone X Shaded properties saw 7 claims averaging $17,240 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A and Zone X should pay the closest attention to these historical claim patterns and water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Alexandria city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
186 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 25 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2019, with 81 claims and $2.9M paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
16 NOAA storm reports from Alexandria city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| The Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 8, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
102 since 1996: 44 flash floods, 24 river or area floods and 29 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Sep 23, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Sep 22, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Sep 21, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Sep 24, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 9, 2025. An anomalously moist airmass ahead of a frontal boundary sparked numerous showers and thunderstorms across Virginia. Instantaneous rain rates approached five to six inches an hour in the bigger storms. Storm total rainfall of one and a half to four inches resulted in flooding and flash flooding in areas throughout the evening of July 9th.
Coastal Flood · Sep 23, 2024. A very prolonged period of onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides resulted in multiple days of moderate coastal flooding at the City of Alexandria.
Coastal Flood · Sep 22, 2024. A very prolonged period of onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides resulted in multiple days of moderate coastal flooding at the City of Alexandria.
Coastal Flood · Sep 21, 2024. A very prolonged period of onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides resulted in multiple days of moderate coastal flooding at the City of Alexandria.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Alexandria city is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.