Natural hazards · Charlottesville

Charlottesville, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Charlottesville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 37 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Charlottesville?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Charlottesville to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding46%Strong wind19%Earthquakes10%Heat waves8%Hurricanes7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Charlottesville faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Charlottesville flood?

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

37paid claims since 1979

$420Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 4 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: the county.

Disasters that hit Charlottesville

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CharlottesvilleDeclared for the county only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$41K to the City of Charlottesville for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$70K to the City of Charlottesville for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

113 households applied for aid $77K aid approved $119K to the City of Charlottesville for repairs

the county has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Charlottesville covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Charlottesville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Charlottesville. 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 Charlottesville total about $10.2M 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.