Due to the expected impact of the winter storm, all Virginia State Park overnight facilities will be closed from Friday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 25. This decision is based on the forecast for unsafe conditions and potential power outages. For updates click here.

Floodplains

Hurricane Helene Resources

Local floodplain administrators should reference FEMA’s Substantial Damage Quick Guide.

Local residents should reference Starting Your Recovery After a Flood, Returning Home After a Flood, and NFIP Rebuilding Safer & Stronger After a Flood.

For the latest information on Virginia’s response to Hurricane Helene, please visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s website.

Virginia flood facts

DCR coordinates all flood protection programs and activities in the state.
Virginia has about 2.3 million acres of mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas – 9 percent of Virginia’s land.
292 of Virginia’s 323 communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Twenty-six communities exceed minimum floodplain requirements to participate in the Community Rating System (CRS).
CRS discounts save Virginians nearly $7 million annually on flood insurance policies.

Flood insurance facts

The best way to protect the life you’ve built is to insure your home and business with flood insurance.
Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.
One inch of water can result in more than $25,000 of damage to your home.
A flood insurance policy takes 30 days to become effective. Purchase flood insurance well in advance of flood-prone seasons.
Learn more about why to buy flood insurance.
Learn more about how to buy flood insurance.

Richmond's 17th Street Farmers' Market flooded during Tropical Storm Gaston in 2004.

Did you know?

Floods are the most common and costly natural disaster.
About 200 Americans lose their lives in floods each year.
90 percent of all presidential declarations of emergency and major disasters involve flooding.
20,000 American communities have special flood-hazard areas with a total of more than 7.4 million buildings.
On average, flood damages throughout the nation annually exceed $3 billion. Since 1976, flood insurance claims in Virginia have totaled more than $744 million with over $110 million flood insurance claims occurring since 2015.
Direct and indirect costs of flood recovery are borne by all American taxpayers, not just flood victims.

Flood Cost Calculator

Click the tool below to see how much flood damage – even from just a few inches of water – could cost you.