39 flood insurance claims·$596,392 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 Hanover 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 from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood character of Hanover County, Virginia. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 36 flash flood events resulting in 2 deaths, compared to 9 standard flood events. Recent activity includes flash flooding in July 2025 driven by slow-moving storms and an unstable air mass, as well as an event on July 19, 2025, caused by deep moisture, strong surface heating, and heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program records show varying impacts across different zones. Properties in Zone X experienced 19 claims with an average payout of $8,412 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone A properties experienced 16 claims with an average payout of $40,638 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $16,207 and an average water depth of 3 inches.
Residents in Zone A should pay the most attention to flood risk, as these properties experience significantly higher average payouts and greater recorded water depths than properties located in Zone X.
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 10 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 2004, with 8 claims and $237,087 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston.
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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Hanover County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 2, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
45 since 1996: 36 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 29, 2025. An isolated storm produced flash flooding in central Virginia on the evening of June 29.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2025. Scattered storms developed along a surface trough and in a hot and humid airmass on June 26. An isolated storm produced minor flash flooding in the City of Richmond in the afternoon hours.
Flash Flood · Jul 19, 2025. A stationary front was anchored north of the area in Pennsylvania. Deep moisture was in place to the south of the front with precipitable water values near two inches. Strong surface heating resulted in robust instability with wind shear around 25 knots, allowing for deep, slow moving, convection capable of heavy rainfall and flash flooding during the afternoon and evening hours.
Flash Flood · Jul 12, 2025. Scattered showers and storms developed across central and eastern Virginia on July 12 given an unstable air mass in place. These storms were slow-moving and produced heavy rain 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 Hanover 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.