Natural hazards · Arlington

Arlington, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Arlington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 123 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Arlington?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Arlington to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Heat waves12%Hurricanes8%Strong wind5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Arlington faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Arlington flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Arlington, from FEMA’s records.

123paid claims since 1978

$1.9Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $486
Hurricane Isabel: 2 claims, $36K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $4K

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Arlington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Arlington County.

Disasters that hit Arlington

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Arlington itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Arlington.

Brought FEMA money into ArlingtonDeclared for Arlington County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

74 households applied for aid $39K aid approved

Arlington County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Arlington

Arlington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alexandriamostly inland floodingModerate

McLeanmostly inland floodingVery low

Arlingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

Falls Churchmostly inland floodingVery low

Bailey's Crossroadsmostly inland floodingVery low

Washingtonmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Arlington covers 71 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Arlington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Arlington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Arlington total about $37.8M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.