Natural hazards · Reston

Reston, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Reston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1996. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Reston?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Reston to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes11%Heat waves7%Earthquakes5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Reston faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% 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

7% 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 46% 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 Reston flood?

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

14paid claims since 1996

$98Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ernesto: 1 claim, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Reston 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 Reston

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RestonDeclared for Fairfax County only

2003

Hurricane Isabel

12 households applied for aid $297 aid approved

Fairfax County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Reston

Reston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dranesvillemostly inland floodingLow

Franklin Farmmostly inland floodingLow

Wolf Trapmostly inland floodingLow

Difficult Runmostly inland floodingVery low

Great Falls Crossingmostly inland floodingVery low

Restonmostly inland floodingVery low

Herndonmostly inland floodingVery low

McNairmostly 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. Reston covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Reston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Reston. 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 Reston total about $9.8M 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.