215 flood insurance claims·$1.9M paid·3 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 Arlington County, 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.
Coastal and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and low pressure systems dominate the flood risk profile in Arlington County. Over the last 30 years, recorded events include 25 coastal floods, 24 flash floods resulting in 1 death, 23 general floods, 5 tropical storms, and 2 storm surge or tide events. Recent activity is illustrated by a low pressure system on June 13, 2025, which dropped localized rainfall of two to four inches causing flash flooding, and a strong low pressure system on January 9, 2024, that generated strong southeast winds gusting up to 52 mph and raised water levels along the Potomac River.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows varying impacts across zones. Zone X recorded 127 claims with an average payout of $17,160 and an average recorded water depth of 19 inches. Zone A recorded 40 claims averaging $13,182 with an average water depth of 9 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED logged 33 claims averaging $10,934 with an average depth of 7 inches, while Zone X_SHADED saw 10 claims averaging $10,621 with an average depth of 1 inch. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 5 claims averaging $813 with an average water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties in both Zone X and Zone A, as these areas account for the highest volume of historical insurance claims and significant average water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
52% of Arlington County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
83 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 13 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 47 claims and $1.1M 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 Arlington County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 3 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 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 23, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
79 since 1996: 24 flash floods, 23 river or area floods and 27 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 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 · Jun 13, 2025. A weak area of low pressure moved along a stalled frontal boundary in northern Virginia. This spawned showers and thunderstorms that resulted in localized amounts of two to four inches of rain.
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 Arlington County 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.