Enter any address in Galax city, Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the most frequent type of flood event in Galax city County, VA, with 15 flood events and 14 flash flood events recorded in the last 30 years. Recent examples include a slow-moving line of storms on August 1st, which produced rainfall rates up to 4.5 inches per hour, and a strong thunderstorm on September 10th, 2023, that dropped 2 inches of rain in about 20 minutes. Hurricane Helene also brought flood impacts to the area on September 27th, 2024.
While flood insurance claims are infrequent, those filed in Zone A have averaged $151 for 1.0 foot of water depth, and claims in Zone X_SHADED have averaged $3,076 for 2.0 feet of water depth. Homeowners in areas identified as Zone A or Zone X_SHADED, particularly those near waterways or in locations that have experienced heavy rainfall, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Galax city, Virginia has recorded 30 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 14 flash floods and 15 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Post-tropical Cyclone Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | Hurricane | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 23, 2006 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 10, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 11, 2018 | 455.00K |
| Flood | Oct 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 1, 2025
A slow-moving line of storms passed across the City of Galax and neighboring Grayson County just before 2 pm EDT during the afternoon of August 1st, with multiple cells within the line observed training across the city. The line weakened and exited the area by around 3:30 pm EDT. Rainfall rates were observed to be as high as 4.5 inches per hour in a couple areas of the city, with storm total a...
Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, September 26, and moved quickly northward into the southeastern states, and then turned slightly northwestward towards the southern Appalachian Mountains overnight into Friday morning, weakening as it moved over land. Helene���s intensity and fast forward motion led to impacts being felt well inlan...
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 fro...
Flood — Sep 10, 2023
A strong thunderstorm produced heavy rainfall over the City of Galax, VA at rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour. Multiple personal weather stations just north of the downtown observed about 2 inches of rainfall as a storm total amount, with the one inch falling during the first 20 minutes of the storm.
Tropical Storm — Oct 29, 2020
Winds associated with Tropical Storm Zeta caused damage and power outages in southwestern Virginia, concentrated close to border with North Carolina. Wind gusts reached 30-40 knots during the peak of the storm. Numerous trees were blown down by Tropical Storm Zeta, with many falling on homes, power lines, and blocking roadways. A thunderstorm closely following Zeta contributed to some of the wi...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Galax city, Virginia:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Galax city, Virginia that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.