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Some Virginia State Park overnight facilities will be closed from Fri., Jan. 30 through Sun., Feb. 1 . For information on which parks and other important storm related updates click here.
Understanding flood risk requires knowing which areas of your community are exposed to flooding today, and which areas are expected to be exposed in the coming decades. Due to changing patterns of precipitation, sea level rise, and development, historic flooding trends are no longer a useful predictor of future risk.
Nationwide, we lack consistent, locally specific data that forecasts flooding based on multiple risk sources. The Commonwealth is closing these data gaps and providing data tools to support flood resilience planning efforts in Virginia.
DCR provides two non-regulatory flood hazard datasets that can be used together with regulatory data to support more informed flood resilience planning: a coastal Virginia flood hazard dataset (developed for the Coastal Resilience Master Plan) and a statewide Fathom flood hazard dataset (procured for the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan). The table below explores and compares these two resources.
|
Coastal Virginia Flood Hazard Data |
Fathom Flood Hazard Data |
Geographic Area |
Coastal: localities within any of the eight easternmost Planning District Commissions in Virginia. |
Statewide: The entire Commonwealth of Virginia. |
Flood Hazards |
Coastal, riverine, and rainfall-driven flooding |
Coastal, riverine, and rainfall-driven flooding |
Recurrence Intervals |
Seven recurrence intervals: 1 in 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year. Three tidal conditions (MLW, MHW, 1.5xMTR) are also available for coastal flood data. |
Five recurrence intervals*: 1 in 10-, 25-, 50-, 100- and 500-year. |
Associated DCR Plan |
Coastal Resilience Master Plan (CRMP) |
Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan (VFPMP) |
Planning Scenarios |
Five planning scenarios: baseline (2020), plus “moderate” and “high” scenario options for the near future (2030-2060) and far future (2060-2100) time horizons. |
Five planning scenarios: baseline (2020), plus two “moderate” and “higher” scenario options for the 2060- and 2100-time horizons. |
Basis for Future Conditions |
Varies by flood source and planning scenario. See reference figure for more information. |
Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2-4.5 (SSP2-4.5). “Moderate” scenario based on median (50th percentile) values and “higher” scenario based on 83rd percentile values. |
Resolution |
10-foot |
10-meter (~33-foot) |
Source |
DCR with underlying data from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. |
Fathom |
Access |
View and download data and methodology documentation via DCR’s Flood Resilience Open Data Portal. |
View the 1 in 100- and 500-year data for baseline conditions via DCR’s Flood Resilience Open Data Portal. Access to all other products is provided to VA public institutions.* |
Additional Information |
Learn more via the one-pager. |
Learn more via the one-pager. |
*Virginia government entities and state-recognized Tribal governments may sub-license all Fathom data from DCR for a 12-month renewable license term. To inquire about a sub-license agreement, including data use limitations, please contact us at flood.resilience@dcr.virginia.gov.
Additional data to visualize and understand flood hazards is available through state and federal platforms. Below is a snapshot of these data resources which can be accessed through the links provided.
There are many tools to aid organizations in crafting a flood resilience plan. Below is an abbreviated list of useful planning tools. Additional tools can be found on the information gateways linked below.
The following tools were developed with Virginia-specific needs in mind. While some are focused on exploring flood resilience specifically, others support resilience planning more broadly.
Federal agencies have developed tools to assist organizations to plan and implement successful flood resilience strategies. The following resources may help you to craft your resilience plan.
These portals and databases contain a variety of resources – such as data, planning tools and funding information – that may be useful to your organization as you develop your resilience plan:
Organizations developing flood resilience plans should consider approaches which align both with DCR’s flood resilience plan guidance, as well as with federal resources and funding opportunities. Resources to help you understand how to align your approach to resilience planning with available funding resources include:
DCR administers the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) and the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund (RVRF). For more information on these funds visit the DCR Floodplain Management, Flood Resilience Funding website.
Beyond the DCR administered resilience funds, the Coastal Resilience Web Explorer Funding Opportunities tab provides an inventory of funding sources that may be available to finance the development and/or implementation of your plan. While it is catered to the coastal region, non-coastal activities may be eligible for some listed opportunities.
The DCR Flood Resilience Funding Geographic Focal Area Viewer identifies geographic areas that are designated as either required or preferred for resilience funding, including Low-Income Geographic Areas for the DCR Community Flood Preparedness Fund.
Historic reports relevant to flood resilience planning in Virginia are archived via the dropdown menus below.
During the 2024 General Assembly session, House Bill 1458 amended the Status of Flood Resilience Report requirements in the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-220.5) to include the status of overall resilience in the Commonwealth, including flood resilience. Released in July 2025 and every two years thereafter, the report includes the status of actions undertaken by the Chief Resilience Officer and state agencies regarding resilience coordination and planning and all resilience funding received and distributed by the Commonwealth during the prior two years.
Read the 2025 Resilience in the Commonwealth of Virginia Status Update
During the 2024 General Assembly session, House Bill 1458 amended the Status of Flood Resilience Report requirements in the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-220.5) to include the status of overall resilience in the Commonwealth, including flood resilience. Released in July 2025 and every two years thereafter, the report includes the status of actions undertaken by the Chief Resilience Officer and state agencies regarding resilience coordination and planning and all resilience funding received and distributed by the Commonwealth during the prior two years.
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Center for Public Policy (CPP) facilitated the RCWG with financial support from the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (CCRFR).
In 2023, the Commonwealth’s Chief Resilience Officer published a biennial report to the Governor and General Assembly on the status of flood resilience in Virginia in accordance with the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-220.5).
Read the 2023 Status of Flood Resilience Report.
