Enter any address in Radford city, Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Localized flooding from heavy rainfall events is the primary flood concern for Radford City County, VA. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data indicates 12 flood events and 2 flash flood events, alongside one tropical storm. Recent examples include flooding in July 2025 due to slow-moving thunderstorms with rainfall rates up to 5 inches per hour, and widespread flooding in May 2020 caused by persistent rainfall from an upper-level low, with some areas receiving over 12 inches of rain in 96 hours.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $116,288 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. While Zone X_Unshaded properties have seen fewer claims, one claim averaged $21,414 with 1.0 foot of water depth. Residents in Zone A, and those in areas with unknown flood risk or outside of designated high-risk zones, should pay close attention to potential flood hazards.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Radford city, Virginia has recorded 15 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 2 flash floods and 12 river or area floods. The county has received 17 federal disaster declarations, 3 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 |
| Post-tropical Cyclone Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 7, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Sep 17, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 11, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 29, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jul 30, 2025
Slow moving thunderstorms with rainfall rates as high as 5 inches per hour caused localized flooding in the City of Radford and neighboring Montgomery County. Heavy rain also caused flooding and a landslide in and around the Town of Rich Creek, VA.
Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, September 26, and moved quickly northward into the southeastern states, and then turned slightly northwestward towards the southern Appalachian Mountains overnight into Friday morning, weakening as it moved over land. Helene���s intensity and fast forward motion led to impacts being felt well inlan...
Flood — May 21, 2020
An upper-level low became cut-off over the southern Appalachian region for several days leading to persistent rainfall and eventually some flooding. Four-day (96-hour) rainfall amounts ending at 800 AM EDT on May 22nd ranged from 3 to over 12 inches in the most favored locations. Some of the 11-inch+, 4-day rain totals in Roanoke County were within the 200-year recurrence interval (9.78 to 11.8...
Flood — Apr 13, 2020
A strong cold front extending from a complex surface low pressure system, brought intense thunderstorms which produced damaging winds and very heavy rain on April 12-13. The heavy rains resulted from a deep plume of tropical moisture lifted northward ahead of the cold front. Heavy rain began during the evening of April 12th and exited the region shortly after sunrise on the 13th, lasting rough...
Flood — Feb 7, 2020
A deep upper-level trough moved slowly across the central and eastern U.S. drawing abundant moisture northward. At the same time, a complex frontal boundary with several waves of low pressure brought repeated rounds of heavy rainfall to the region. Rainfall totals for the 72-hour period ending at 700 AM on February 7th ranged from 2 to 6 inches with isolated higher amounts mainly along the Blue...
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 Radford city, 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 Radford city, 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.