57 flood insurance claims·$552,363 paid·5 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 Frederick 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.
Prolonged general riverine and watershed flooding dominates Frederick County, supported by 116 recorded flood events compared to 34 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent flood events demonstrate this vulnerability. A slow-moving closed upper-level low brought anomalous moisture and rainfall rates exceeding two inches an hour on May 13, 2025, resulting in four to eight inches of rain across the Blue Ridge and lingering flooding into May 14. Additionally, the remnants of Debby tracked through the area on August 9, 2024, combining tropical moisture to cause heavy rain, flooding, and flash flooding, which contributed to one historical flash flood death in the county's records.
Homeowners and real estate agents should note that National Flood Insurance Program claims have occurred across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 23 claims averaging a payout of $20,324 and an average recorded water depth of 27 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 17 claims averaging $6,226 with an average water depth of 24 inches. Properties categorized under Zone UNKNOWN recorded nine claims averaging $12,068 with an average water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded eight claims averaging $7,245 with an average water depth of 6 inches. Residents in mapped high-risk areas as well as unshaded or moderate-risk zones should pay close attention to these historical claim patterns and water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
26% of Frederick County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
31 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 2018, with 7 claims and $146,897 paid, the year of Hurricane Florence.
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.
33 NOAA storm reports from Frederick County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 5 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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
150 since 1996: 34 flash floods and 116 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 28, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | — |
| Flood | May 7, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 13, 2025. A slow moving closed upper level low originating from the Gulf of America brought anomalous moisture into the area. A long duration period of rain ensued, with rain rates exceeding two inches an hour during the afternoon and evening of May 13th. The slow moving storms coupled with training led to localized rainfall totals of four to eight inches across the Blue Ridge, with lesser amounts of two to four inches alon…
Flood · Jan 28, 2024. An area of low pressure moved by to the south during the early morning hours of January 29th bringing a widespread inch and a half to two inches of rain. This resulted in some rivers rising into Minor Flood Stage and several streams overflowing their banks.
Flood · Aug 9, 2024. The remnants of Debby tracked through the area Thursday night into Friday, August 8th into August 9th. Tropical moisture combined with lift from the remnants to cause heavy rain across much of Virginia. The heavy rain led to several instances of flash flooding and flooding.
Flash Flood · Aug 9, 2024. The remnants of Debby tracked through the area Thursday night into Friday, August 8th into August 9th. Tropical moisture combined with lift from the remnants to cause heavy rain across much of Virginia. The heavy rain led to several instances of flash flooding and 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 Frederick 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.