Enter any address in Mathews County, Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Coastal flooding is the dominant flood character in Mathews County, VA, with 13 recorded events in the last 30 years. These events are often driven by weather systems creating prolonged onshore winds. For example, moderate to major coastal flooding occurred on October 12-13, 2025, due to strong northeast winds. Earlier, on October 2, 2025, elevated winds and long-period swell contributed to coastal flooding along tidal rivers.
National Flood Insurance Program data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $15,785 and water depths of 1.9 feet. Zone V properties, while fewer in number, have seen higher average payouts ($27,047) and water depths (3.0 feet). Homeowners in coastal areas, particularly those in Zone V, and properties located in Zone A should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Mathews County, Virginia has recorded 35 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 9 flash floods and 4 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Tropical Depression Ernesto, Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 29, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Hurricane | Sep 18, 2003 |
| Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations | Hurricane | Sep 13, 1999 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | Oct 28, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Aug 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 12, 2025 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Nov 15, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 8, 2021 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2020 | 0.00K |
Coastal Flood — Oct 28, 2025
Low pressure off the Mid-Atlantic coast combined with high pressure in Canada, resulting in a lengthy period of northeasterly onshore flow. Increasing tidal anomalies resulted in moderate to locally major tidal flooding over an extended period.
Coastal Flood — Aug 21, 2025
Hurricane Erin passed well offshore and combined with high pressure to the north, resulting in a period of strong onshore winds and coastal flooding across eastern Virginia and the Virginia Eastern Shore.
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 floodin...
Coastal Flood — Oct 2, 2025
Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda were located well offshore of the Eastern Seaboard on October 1, with high pressure over the Great Lakes and southern Canada. The combination of elevated winds and long-period swell led to coastal flooding. A few locations along the Virginia tidal rivers reached moderate flood stage from later October 1 into early October 3.
Coastal Flood — Nov 15, 2024
An area of low pressure moved across the Outer Banks and out to sea on the night of November 14 into November 15. Winds became northeast ahead of the low and northwest behind the low as it moved offshore on November 15. The result was a surge of water from the Chesapeake Bay with moderate coastal flooding reported across several areas.
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 Mathews 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 Mathews 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.