276 flood insurance claims·$4.0M paid·8 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 Buena Vista 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.
39% of Buena Vista city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
265 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 8 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 1995, with 95 claims and $1.1M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Buena Vista city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
| Hurricane Fran And Associated Severe Storm Cond | Sep 5, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
13 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Nov 29, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Sep 8, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2003 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 18, 2003 | — |
| Flood | Sep 18, 2003 | $650,000 |
| Flood | May 6, 2003 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 1, 2018. A stationary boundary through the Mid-Atlantic into the Mid-Mississippi Valley spawned thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening of August 31st that carried over into the early morning hours of September 1st . Storms were mainly across the foothills and southside Virginia with radar estimated rainfall of 1 to 2.5 inches in a few hours. Top rain gage reports ending at 0700 EDT on the 1st included 2.28��� at…
Flood · Nov 29, 2005. Rainfall of 4 to as much as 10 inches over a 36 hour period caused flooding along several creeks and rivers in counties along and either side of the Blue Ridge. Several roads were closed due to high water, especially in Amherst County.
Flash Flood · Jun 15, 2004. Heavy rain producing thunderstorms produced flashing flooding in and around Buena Vista in Rockbridge County, across southern sections of Henry and Patrick Counties. One thunderstorm produced a downburst in Henry County as well, downing a tree in Bassett. Kerrs Creek left its banks yielding the evacuation of one home. Also, numerous streets were flooded in Buena Vista as a result of several streams leaving their…
Flood · Sep 8, 2004. The remnants of Tropical Depression Frances brought flooding rains to portions of Southwest Virginia September 8th. Across Henry County, numerous creeks and streams flooded, leading to road closures. Some roads were damaged as well by the floodwaters. A few homes had water damage in their basements.In Rockbridge County, as much as 9 inches of rain led to flooding of creeks and streams. Roads were closed due to hig…
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 Buena Vista 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.