Natural hazards · Falmouth

Falmouth, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Falmouth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2008. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Falmouth?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Falmouth to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Heat waves6%Tornadoes5%Hurricanes5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Falmouth faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Falmouth flood?

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

4paid claims since 2008

$40Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stafford County.

Disasters that hit Falmouth

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FalmouthDeclared for Stafford County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

4 households applied for aid

Stafford County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Falmouth

Falmouth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chatham Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate

Grafton Villagemostly inland floodingLow

Falmouthmostly inland floodingLow

Leeland Stationmostly inland floodingLow

Fredericksburgmostly inland floodingLow

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. Falmouth covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Falmouth’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Falmouth. 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 Falmouth total about $1.5M 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.