44 flood insurance claims·$287,321 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 Charlottesville 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 and general flooding from summer thunderstorms and heavy rainfall dominate the flood history of Charlottesville. According to NOAA Storm Events data from the last 30 years, the area recorded 11 flood events, 10 flash flood events, and 2 tropical storm events. For example, a slow-moving supercell produced rapid rainfall and flash flooding in May 2025. Similarly, a slow-moving cold front and torrential downpours caused widespread flooding in August 2018.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties situated in FEMA Zone A face the highest risk, accounting for 23 claims with an average payout of $12,729 and an average recorded water depth of 15 inches. By comparison, properties in Zone X recorded 9 claims with an average payout of $2,590 and an average water depth of 1 inch. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 6 claims with an average payout of $10,708 and an average water depth of 2 inches, Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $1,946 and an average water depth of 2 inches, and Zone X_SHADED recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $1,263 and an average water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, as these areas experience significantly higher claim frequencies, payout amounts, and water depths compared to Zone X and other localized designations.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
21% of Charlottesville city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
29 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 10 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 1979, with 10 claims and $88,818 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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Charlottesville city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
13 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 |
| 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.
23 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 31, 2018 | — |
| Flood | May 19, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2013 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2011 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Sep 6, 2011 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 6, 2008 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 15, 2025. A long duration supercell in northwest flow slowed down over Charlottesville producing a quick one to two inches of rain in thirty to sixty minute period. This resulted in flash flooding in the city.
Flood · Jul 31, 2018. Heavy rain developed during the evening of July 31st, mainly in Albemarle and Orange Counties. Rainfall totals over four inches were observed, with numerous instances of flooding. This rain continued into the morning hours of August 1st with additional flooding reports.
Flood · May 19, 2018. Heavy rain of 1-3 inches fell during the evening and overnight of May 18th into May 19th along and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This prompted flooding in the region, mainly of streams. Some of the stream flooding lasted into the 20th, especially on larger rivers.
Flash Flood · Aug 1, 2018. A southerly flow pumped in plenty of moisture from the Atlantic while a slow moving cold front approached from the west. Copious amounts of moisture ahead of the boundary led to showers and thunderstorms. Torrential downpours combined with convection training over the same areas led to flooding.
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 Charlottesville 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.