28 flood insurance claims·$230,825 paid·8 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 Greene 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.
Flash flooding and standard riverine flooding dominate the flood profile of Greene County, supported by 72 flood events, 67 flash flood events, and 1 tropical storm recorded over the last 30 years in the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Severe weather impacts are exemplified by persistent heavy rainfall events, such as the flash floods on May 13, 2025. During this event, a slow-moving upper-level low and training storms produced rain rates exceeding two inches per hour, resulting in localized rainfall totals of four to eight inches across the Blue Ridge and causing flooding that lingered into the morning of May 14.
Property owners and real estate agents should note that historical NFIP claims span multiple zones, indicating risk outside strictly designated high-risk areas. Zone X properties account for 17 claims with an average payout of $15,103 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Zone A properties account for 9 claims with an average payout of $9,744 and an average recorded water depth of 22 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN accounts for 2 claims with an average payout of $921 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners in both mapped flood zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X should pay close attention to these localized flood hazards.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 16 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 $68,664 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.
67 NOAA storm reports from Greene County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
140 since 1996: 67 flash floods and 72 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 29, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 19, 2025. An unstable atmosphere along with plenty of moisture led to the development of showers and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were slow moving, and trained over the same areas in spots resulting in flash flooding. Localized rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were observed, with upwards of 5 inches in the most persistent thunderstorms.
Flash Flood · Jun 15, 2025. Slow moving showers and thunderstorms caused localized flooding across portions of Virginia during the afternoon and evening of June 15, 2025. These showers and thunderstorms were in association with a vigorous upper level shortwave trough and quasi-stationary boundary meandering over the area. A general two to four inches of rain fell across areas where flooding occurred.
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2025. An anomalously moist airmass with tropical moisture resided over much of Virginia on July 15th. Another round of slow moving thunderstorms developed on remnant boundaries and terrain circulations before propagating eastward. These thunderstorms moved into areas with suppressed flash flood guidance due to anteceding conditions. Ultimately, these storms produced localized rainfall amounts of two to five inches.
Flash 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…
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 Greene 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.