Enter any address in Roanoke city, Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flood observed in Roanoke County, VA, with 48 such events recorded in the last 30 years. Other flood types include general flooding, with 32 events and one reported fatality, and one tropical storm event. Recent events include a flood on February 15, 2025, caused by a deep upper-level trough drawing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and a flood on August 8, 2024, associated with the remnants of Hurricane Debbie, which also brought strong winds and downed trees.
Homeowners in Zone A, which has seen the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims at 775, averaging $19,128 in payouts and 3.9 feet of water depth, should pay particular attention. Properties in Zone X_SHADED, despite fewer claims, have experienced the deepest average water depth at 4.5 feet and higher average payouts of $18,834. Residents in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone X also have a history of claims and should be aware of their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
34 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Roanoke city, Virginia has recorded 81 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 48 flash floods and 32 river or area floods. The county has received 19 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 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding From The Remanants Of Hurricane Jeanne | Severe Storm | Sep 27, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 19, 2024 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 19, 2021 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2021 | 2.50K |
| Flood | May 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flood — Feb 15, 2025
A deep upper level trough was observed exiting the southern Rockies during the morning of February 15th, with southwesterly windflow ahead of the trough allowing for a fetch of deep moisture from the western Gulf of America. This moisture pooled along a warm front situated across from Kentucky into southwest Virginia, where precipitable water values increased from 0.6 to 0.7 inches at 7 am that...
Flood — Sep 19, 2024
A line of thunderstorms passed across the City of Roanoke between 7 pm and 8 pm EDT during the evening of the 19th. MRMS (Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor System) data indicated rain falling at rates of between two and five inches per hour with these storms, with total accumulations ranging from 0.75 to locally 1.25 inches, which is around a 2-year Average Recurrence Interval for a 60-minute duration...
Flood — Aug 8, 2024
The remnants of Hurricane Debbie moved north toward the area on August 8th, 2024. A strong southeast flow of wind on the system's northern extent, along with wet soils due to heavy rainfall, helped to cause downed trees and power lines over portions of Virginia. Winds gusted to at least 40 to 45 mph over parts of the region. The strong winds continued into the morning hours of August 9th, 2024....
Flash Flood — Jul 23, 2023
An upper level storm system crossed the region during peak heating. The passage of this system aided in the lift needed for thunderstorm development within an already very moist and unstable atmosphere. The environment spawned scattered severe thunderstorms which produced damaging winds. In addition, storms were at times slow-moving, with winds up to 700 mb averaging around 10 knots from the so...
Flash Flood — Aug 19, 2021
Widely scattered thunderstorms developed in an environment of strong daytime heating on August 19th, allowing for deep instability as surface-based CAPE values were observed to be in the 1,500 to 2,500 J/Kg range during the evening for areas mostly along and east of the Blue Ridge. The thunderstorms were fueled by deep tropical moisture, with precipitable water observed to be 1.90 inches per t...
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 Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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.