Natural hazards · Staunton

Staunton, VA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Staunton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Staunton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Staunton to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Strong wind7%Hurricanes5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Staunton faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Staunton flood?

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

29paid claims since 1978

$665Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 5 claims, $65K
Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Staunton 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Staunton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into StauntonDeclared for the county only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$107K to the City of Staunton for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$147K to the City of Staunton for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

61 households applied for aid $60K aid approved $32K to the City of Staunton for repairs

the county has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Staunton covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Staunton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Staunton. 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 Staunton total about $5.3M 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.