45 flood insurance claims·$646,772 paid·6 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 Franklin 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.
Franklin County, Virginia is dominated by flash flooding, accounting for 94 of the 130 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 34 general floods and 2 tropical storms. Recent notable events include severe moisture transport from a deep upper-level trough and occluded front in January 2024, followed by heavy rainfall, wet soils, and high wind gusts from the northward movement of the remnants of Hurricane Debbie in August 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties in Zone A experienced the highest frequency and severity of impact, logging 26 claims with an average payout of $27,325 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 11 claims with an average payout of $10,134 and an average recorded water depth of 69 inches. Additional claims occurred in Zone X_UNSHADED (4 claims averaging $6,833 and 2 inches of water), Zone UNKNOWN (2 claims averaging $4,392 and 4 inches of water), and Zone X_SHADED (2 claims averaging $683 with 0 inches of water).
Property owners and real estate agents in high-risk zones, particularly Zone A and Zone X, should pay the closest attention to these flood risks given the historical frequency of flash flooding and recorded claim payouts in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
19% of Franklin County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
32 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 12 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 1992, with 6 claims and $119,003 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.
71 NOAA storm reports from Franklin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Feb 10, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
130 since 1996: 94 flash floods and 34 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | $15,000 |
| Flood | May 29, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Aug 21, 2022 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jan 9, 2024. A deep, negatively tilted upper level trough and associated occluded front passed from the central Mississippi River Valley on January 9th toward the lower New England region by the morning of the 10th. Strong southerly wind flow ahead of the upper trough carried deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward into the Carolinas and the lower Mid-Atlantic. Precipitable water values ranged from 1.1 inches across…
Flash Flood · Aug 8, 2024. The remnants of Hurricane Debbie moved north toward the area on August 8th, 2024. A strong southeast flow of wind on the system's northern extent, along with wet soils due to heavy rainfall, helped to cause downed trees and power lines over portions of Virginia. Winds gusted to at least 40 to 45 mph over parts of the region. The strong winds continued into the morning hours of August 9th, 2024. The highest totals…
Flood · Aug 8, 2024. The remnants of Hurricane Debbie moved north toward the area on August 8th, 2024. A strong southeast flow of wind on the system's northern extent, along with wet soils due to heavy rainfall, helped to cause downed trees and power lines over portions of Virginia. Winds gusted to at least 40 to 45 mph over parts of the region. The strong winds continued into the morning hours of August 9th, 2024. The highest totals…
Flood · May 29, 2023. A deep, closed upper level low pressure system was observed over central Alabama on the morning of May 28th. The east winds around this low, allowed deep sub-tropical moisture from the Atlantic to move into lower Mid-Atlantic region. Areas of rain developed across the mountains by late morning, and gradually increased in coverage due to the sustained 25 to 30 knot (850mb) moisture inflow. Precipitable water values…
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 Franklin 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.