Fredericksburg is calmer than 77% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fredericksburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Fredericksburg’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Fredericksburg?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 465 of the 700 Virginia towns we cover.
Fredericksburg covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
What Fredericksburg faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Earthquakes
Strong wind
Lightning
Tornadoes
Heat waves
Does Fredericksburg flood? Sometimes: 30 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fredericksburg, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Fran5 claims · $56K
- The Mid-spring storms2 claims · $4K
Fredericksburg 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.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fredericksburg
Disasters that paid out in Fredericksburg itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Fredericksburg) and its biggest flood years.
- 2022Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$71K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2016Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$149K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds$56K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2011Earthquake919 households applied for aid$1.2M aid approved$31K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$14K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$136K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
Show all 8
- 2003Hurricane Isabel357 households applied for aid$278K aid approved$305K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
- 2000Severe Winter Storms$42K to the City of Fredericksburg for repairs
the county has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Old photos of Fredericksburg after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fredericksburg archive →Get ready for what Fredericksburg actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Fredericksburg and its neighbors
Fredericksburg has the lowest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham Heights | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Falmouth | Low | inland flooding | 4 |
| Fredericksburg | Low | inland flooding | 30 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of the county’s 17 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Fredericksburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fredericksburg.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Fredericksburg, expected losses total about $6.8M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fredericksburg.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.