17 flood insurance claims·$100,601 paid·2 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 Winchester city, 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 12 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 1978, with 4 claims and $10,855 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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Winchester city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Virginia flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
14 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 18, 2012 | — |
| Flood | May 17, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Sep 28, 2004 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 28, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2003 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2022. A nearly stationary boundary oriented from north to south set up over the area. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the boundary. Storm motion was also north to south, which allowed for storms to train over the same locations, resulting in instances of flooding and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 28, 2017. A strong upper level low interacted with a frontal boundary near the Mid-Atlantic region and low pressure formed along the boundary. High moisture content and thunderstorms led to widespread flooding across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Flash Flood · Sep 18, 2012. A cold front moved through the region and showers and severe thunderstorms occurred across the Mid Atlantic. A strong low level jet drove activity through the Interstate 95 corridor and abundant amounts of moisture produced heavy rain.
Flood · May 17, 2011. A nearly stationary area of upper level low pressure system over the Ohio Valley provided plenty of lift to combine with an usually strong and moist southeasterly low-level flow to produce bands of moderate to heavy showers across the mid-Atlantic. With saturated ground in place and the training nature of the widespread showers, flood and flash flooding was the result across portions of northern Virginia. Rainfall…
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 Winchester city 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.