206 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 Covington 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.
38% of Covington city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
193 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 7 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 1985, with 65 claims and $595,013 paid, the year of Severe Storms & 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Covington city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Post-tropical Cyclone Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
9 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2016 | $3.0M |
| Flood | Sep 28, 2004 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2003 | — |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2003 | — |
| Flood | Sep 19, 2003 | $2,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 18, 2003 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 17, 2020. A broad closed upper low drifted across South Carolina and northwest back into southwest Virginia and West Virginia bringing persistent rainfall that eventually led to flooding. There were repeated rounds of heavy rainfall with widespread amounts of 2 to 5 inches, with isolated totals over 10 inches in a 3-day period in parts of Halifax County, VA.
Flood · Sep 27, 2018. A slow-moving frontal boundary crossed the mountains and produced 1 to 2.5 inches of rain with the heaviest falling in the 24-hours ending at 12z (700 AM local) on the 28th. 24-hour rain totals were highest across the upper James and Greenbrier river basins. The James River rose above flood stage in the upper reaches and pockets of flooding were reported on smaller streams in these basins.
Flash Flood · Jun 23, 2016. The synoptic setup for this event featured an upper level ridge over the central U.S. with several strong short-waves topping the ridge and dropping southeast across the Ohio Valley toward the central Appalachians. Satellite imagery showed a deep tap of tropical moisture into West Virginia and a strengthening upper level jet providing additional lift. A warm front was located just north of the area and became a fo…
Flood · Sep 28, 2004. The remnants of Hurricane Jeanne brought torrential rains to Southwest Virginia during the 28th and 29th. This brought minor to major flooding to rivers in the area from late September into early October.On the James River, Buchanan, Holcomb Rock and Bremo Bluff had moderate flooding, while Covington, Lick Run, Lynchburg, Bent Creek and Scottsville experienced minor flooding. At Buchanan in Botetourt County, the r…
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 Covington 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.