Natural hazards · Burke

Burke, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burke comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1989. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Burke?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burke to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Hurricanes7%Heat waves6%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Burke faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Burke flood?

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

12paid claims since 1989

$27Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fairfax County.

Disasters that hit Burke

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurkeDeclared for Fairfax County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

15 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

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

Around Burke

Burke and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Runmostly inland floodingLow

Fairfax Stationmostly inland floodingLow

Kings Park Westmostly inland floodingLow

Burkemostly inland floodingLow

West Springfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Newington Forestmostly inland floodingLow

Burke Centremostly inland floodingVery low

Kings Parkmostly inland floodingVery low

Long Branchmostly 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. Burke covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burke’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Burke. 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 Burke total about $7.0M 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.