20 flood insurance claims·$279,047 paid·4 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 Orange 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.
Standard riverine and general floods dominate the historical event mix in Orange County, Virginia, accounting for 99 recorded events over the last 30 years, alongside 34 flash floods and 1 tropical storm. Slow-moving weather systems capable of dropping heavy rainfall totals pose a persistent hazard to the area. For example, a slow-moving upper-level low brought anomalous moisture and rain rates exceeding two inches an hour on May 13, 2025, resulting in localized rainfall totals of four to eight inches across the Blue Ridge and causing flooding that lingered into the morning hours of May 14, 2025.
Federal flood insurance claims data highlights distinct risk exposure across different FEMA zones within the county. Properties located in Zone A face the most severe flood impacts, recording an average water depth of 24 inches and an average payout of $47,096 across 3 claims. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED experience lower average water depths of 1 inch and 0 inches respectively, with average payouts of $14,492 across 16 claims and $7,335 across 1 claim. Residents and property owners in Zone A areas should pay the closest attention to flood risks given the significantly higher water depths and claim payouts associated with those zones.
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 6 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 2025, with 5 claims and $151,099 paid.
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.
43 NOAA storm reports from Orange County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 2, 2022 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Earthquake | Aug 23, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
134 since 1996: 34 flash floods and 99 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 13, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 13, 2025 | — |
— = 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 · Jul 18, 2025. An anomalously moist tropical airmass resided over Virginia bringing numerous rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms trained over portions of central Virginia bringing rainfall amounts of two to locally six inches. This resulted in instances of flooding and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · May 14, 2025. Underneath an upper level low, slow moving thunderstorms trained over central Virginia producing a quick one to three inches of rain resulting in flash flooding. This comes a day after a few inches of rain had just fallen.
Flood · May 14, 2025. A slow moving closed upper level low originating from the Gulf of America brought anomalous moisture into the area bringing localized heavy rain and a long duration moderate rain event.
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 Orange 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.