74 flood insurance claims·$471,724 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 Falls Church 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.
Coastal flooding events dominate the recorded flood history in Falls Church city, accounting for 25 out of 44 total events over the last 30 years in the NOAA database, alongside lesser occurrences of general floods, flash floods, tropical storms, and storm surge. This hazard profile is demonstrated by recent events, such as a strong low-pressure system in January 2024 that generated wind gusts up to 52 mph and raised water levels along the Potomac River, and a prolonged period of onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides that caused multiple days of moderate coastal flooding in September 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks extend across multiple zones, with significant claim histories in both moderate-to-low risk and high-risk areas. Properties in Zone X accumulated 39 claims with an average payout of $9,165 and an average recorded water depth of 26 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone A recorded 32 claims with an average payout of $10,836 and an average water depth of 14 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims averaging $1,371 and 2 inches of water depth, and Zone V recorded 1 claim with a $4,496 average payout and 1 inch of water depth.
Property owners in both designated high-risk flood zones and lower-risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to these risks, as significant insurance claims and water depths have been recorded across multiple hazard zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6% of Falls Church city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
35 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 18 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 22 claims and $210,293 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 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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
44 since 1996: 6 flash floods, 7 river or area floods and 26 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 28, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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.
Coastal Flood · Mar 9, 2024. A strong onshore flow combined with high astronomical tides due to a New Moon resulted in moderate coastal flooding at Alexandria VA.
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 Falls Church 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.