TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
HerndonGood morning
Natural hazards · Herndon

Herndon, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Herndon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2000. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Herndon?

8
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Herndon to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hurricanes11%Heat waves8%Earthquakes5%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Herndon faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Heat waves

8% 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
Below average · higher than 47% 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 Herndon flood?

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

8paid claims since 2000
$19Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20002026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $3K
  • Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Herndon 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 Herndon

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HerndonDeclared for Fairfax County only
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$99K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$202K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$77K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$5K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2003

Hurricane Isabel

16 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $60K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2003

Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,floodind, and Mudslide

$37K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Storms

$22K to the Town of Herndon for repairs
Fairfax County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Herndon

Herndon and the towns around it

Dranesville: Low, mostly inland floodingMcNair: Very low, mostly inland floodingReston: Very low, mostly inland floodingHutchison: Very low, mostly inland floodingOak Grove: Very low, mostly inland floodingGreat Falls: Low, mostly inland floodingFloris: Very low, mostly inland floodingDifficult Run: Very low, mostly inland floodingWolf Trap: Low, mostly inland floodingGreat Falls Crossing: Very low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Farm: Low, mostly inland floodingSterling: Very low, mostly inland floodingHerndon: Very low, mostly inland flooding HerndonDranesvilleMcNairRestonHutchisonOak Grove
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dranesvillemostly inland floodingLow
Restonmostly inland floodingVery low
Herndonmostly inland floodingVery low
McNairmostly inland floodingVery low
Hutchisonmostly inland floodingVery low
Oak Grovemostly 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. Herndon covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Herndon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Herndon. 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 Herndon total about $3.5M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Herndon, VAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Herndon is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map