Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2004. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes11%Tornadoes8%Heat waves5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chester flood?

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

3paid claims since 2004

$60Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chesterfield County.

Disasters that hit Chester

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Chesterfield County only

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes Associated W Td Gaston

22 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

819 households applied for aid $317K aid approved

Chesterfield County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingVery low

Bellwoodmostly 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. Chester covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Chester. 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 Chester total about $3.9M 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.