22 flood insurance claims·$614,685 paid·9 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 King and Queen 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.
King and Queen County experiences a flood risk profile dominated equally by riverine floods and flash floods, supported by occasional coastal flooding. Over the last 30 years, NOAA recorded 7 flood events, 7 flash flood events, and 2 coastal flood events. Specific recent occurrences include heavy rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Michael in October 2018, which caused widespread flooding and flash flooding across the Middle Peninsula, and prolonged northeast winds that produced moderate to major coastal flooding in October 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties situated in high-risk Zone A face the most severe impacts, accounting for 18 claims with an average payout of $41,640 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. By comparison, Zone X properties experienced fewer impacts, with 4 claims averaging a $15,863 payout and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents with properties in Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood preparedness and insurance requirements.
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 8 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 2003, with 14 claims and $488,473 paid, the year of Hurricane Isabel.
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 King and Queen County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| The Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 8, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Ida And A Nor'east | Nov 11, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 7 flash floods, 7 river or area floods and 2 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 12, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 19, 2018 | — |
| Flood | May 18, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Oct 12, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 11, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jun 3, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 14, 2025. A broad trough was in place across the eastern CONUS, resulting in isolated afternoon and evening storms with locally heavy rainfall.
Coastal Flood · Oct 12, 2025. A coastal low formed off of the Southeast coast on October 11 and slowly tracked north into October 13 before moving offshore. Meanwhile, a strong 1035mb area of high pressure lingered over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This resulted in a prolonged period of strong northeast to north winds across the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters, which allowed for widespread moderate to major coastal flooding across eastern Vir…
Flood · May 19, 2018. Flooding occurred along the Mattaponi River in East Central Virginia.
Flood · May 18, 2018. Showers and thunderstorms associated with areas of low pressure along a frontal boundary produced heavy rain which caused lingering flooding across portions of central, south central, and eastern Virginia.
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 King and Queen 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.