Enter any address in Halifax County, Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Halifax County experiences frequent flooding, with 123 flood events and 51 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Recent events include flooding on January 10, 2024, attributed to a trough system drawing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and on January 28, 2024, caused by an upper-level low pressure system and associated front bringing heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have seen the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $11,864 and an average water depth of 2.7 feet. However, properties in Zone X_SHADED have experienced significantly higher average payouts ($16,349) despite a lower average water depth (0.7 feet). Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X_SHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
67 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Halifax County, Virginia has recorded 177 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 51 flash floods and 123 river or area floods. The county has received 27 federal disaster declarations, 2 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 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 10, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| 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 Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Ida And A Nor'east | Severe Storm | Nov 11, 2009 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jan 28, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 24, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 14, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 10.00K |
Flood — Jan 28, 2024
An upper level low pressure system passed up the Ohio River Valley on the 28th, drawing an associated occluded front across the central Appalachians. Strong southerly windflow ahead of the front brought precipitable water values ranging from 1.2 to nearly 1.4 inches to over the Southside area of Virginia, which is between two and three standard deviations above normal per NWS climatology data....
Flash Flood — Sep 24, 2024
A warm front was situated across central Virginia and North Carolina, while a stationary front was positioned across Kentucky and West Virginia, which kept a highly moist airmass over the region. Lift across the warm front and increasing instability via diurnal heating through the day resulted in an increase in coverage and intensity of storms. Some of the storms were severe producing damaging ...
Flood — Sep 21, 2024
A nearly stationary front that extended south from West Virginia into Western Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont served as the focus for thunderstorm development during the afternoon of September 25. Some clearing allowed for an increase in instability, but not quite enough to support widespread severe thunderstorms. Favorable upper level divergence was also present over the area as an upper...
Flash Flood — May 18, 2024
A training line of thunderstorms occurred just west of South Boston, producing between three and four inches of rainfall within a span of three hours. Rainfall rates at times were observed to be in excess of 3.5 inches per hour. Runoff from this rainfall collected in Poplar Creek, causing the creek to rise out of its banks in the town of South Boston, resulting in flooding of roads near the D...
Flood — May 14, 2024
About four inches of rain fell during a roughly 8-hour period across the Town of South Boston due to a slow-moving band of rain moving across south-central Virginia. This amount has a little over a 10-year average recurrence interval per NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency estimates at the 6-hour duration, and extrapolated for an 8 hour duration. Rainfall rates were mostly less than a...
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 Halifax County, 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 Halifax County, 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.