44 flood insurance claims·$259,108 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 Fredericksburg 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.
Riverine and flash flooding from widespread rainfall events dominate the flood history of Fredericksburg city, supported by 13 general flood events and 9 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years alongside tropical storms and storm surge. Heavy rainfall systems frequently cause creeks, streams, and rivers to overflow their banks, leading to road closures and minor to moderate flooding. For example, a low-pressure system in December 2022 brought up to four inches of rain that caused small streams to overflow and roads to close. Similarly, Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020 dropped two to four inches of rain near Interstate 95, resulting in widespread flooding and flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording the highest volume at 24 claims with an average payout of $11,048 and an average recorded water depth of 24 inches. Zone X recorded 8 claims with an average payout of $3,376 and an average recorded water depth of 99 inches. Shaded Zone X accounts for 5 claims with an average payout of $7,493 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while unshaded Zone X recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Property owners located in Zone A and Zone X should pay the closest attention to flood risk given the documented claim history and water depths in these areas.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
27% of Fredericksburg city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
33 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 29 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 1995, with 6 claims and $51,701 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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Fredericksburg city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 2, 2022 |
| 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 |
| Earthquake | Aug 23, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
25 since 1996: 9 flash floods, 13 river or area floods and 1 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2018 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Dec 16, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jun 3, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Dec 18, 2023. An area of low pressure moved along the Atlantic seaboard bringing widespread rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 4 inches. This resulted in numerous creeks, streams, and rivers reaching minor to moderate flood stage. Numerous roads were closed in areas as well.
Flood · Dec 23, 2022. A coastal low pressure system interacted with a warm front resulting in a widespread two to three inches of rain with localized amounts up to four inches. This resulted in numerous road closures due to high water and small streams overflowing their banks. Several river forecast points also reached minor flood stage.
Flood · Nov 12, 2020. Heavy rain occurred as tropical moisture (record levels for November) streamed northward into the area and interacted with a stalled frontal zone. This heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding across Northern and Central Virginia.
Tropical Storm · Aug 4, 2020. Tropical Storm Isaias moved up the east coast, passing through southern Maryland on the morning of Tuesday, August 4th, 2020, spawning several tornadoes as well as flooding rain and tropical storm force winds. ||Storm total rainfall ranged from 2 to 4 inches near Interstate 95 to as much as 9 inches in Calvert County east of Interstate 95. The heavy rain led to numerous incidents of flooding and flash flooding, es…
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 Fredericksburg 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.