Virginia
Hampton Roads is one of the most flood-vulnerable metros in the country. The Blue Ridge produces deadly flash floods. The 2011 Mineral earthquake was felt from Georgia to Maine. Virginia's geography spans enough variety that every region has its own defining hazard.
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Know your region
Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, Chesapeake. One of the most flood-vulnerable metro areas in the U.S. Storm surge from hurricanes, sea-level rise, and chronic tidal flooding. Isabel (2003) set flood records. Naval Station Norfolk faces increasing flood risk.
Primary hazards: hurricanes, storm surge, tidal flooding, sea-level rise
Roanoke, Charlottesville, Staunton, Lexington, the Blue Ridge Parkway. Flash floods in mountain terrain are sudden and deadly. The 1969 Nelson County flood from Hurricane Camille killed 153 people. Heavy snow accumulates on the ridgeline. Helene (2024) caused significant damage.
Primary hazards: flash flooding, winter storms, severe storms, tropical remnants
Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, the I-95 and I-66 corridors. The 2010 Snowmageddon storms paralyzed the region. The 2011 Mineral earthquake (M5.8) damaged the Washington Monument. Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and tornadoes.
Primary hazards: severe storms, earthquakes, winter storms, heat, flooding
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to VA.
Hampton Roads faces storm surge and sea-level rise. Isabel (2003) set records. Norfolk floods from both surge and rain. Tropical remnants bring devastating inland flooding through the mountain valleys.
Read the hurricanes guide →
Virginia faces every type of flooding. Tidal flooding in Hampton Roads increases yearly. Mountain flash floods are sudden and deadly. The 1969 Nelson County flood killed 153. River flooding along the James, Roanoke, and Rappahannock is recurrent.
Read the flooding guide →
Straight-line winds, hail, and tornadoes from spring through fall. Virginia averages 15 tornadoes per year. The Northern Virginia metro experiences frequent summer severe weather.
Read the severe thunderstorms guide →
Snowmageddon (2010) paralyzed DC suburbs. Blue Ridge and Shenandoah get heavy snow. The Piedmont sits in the ice storm zone. Even moderate ice events cause widespread outages.
Read the winter storms guide →
The 2011 Mineral earthquake (M5.8) was felt from Georgia to Maine and damaged the Washington Monument. Central Virginia has an active seismic zone.
Read the earthquakes guide →
Virginia resources
Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response and manages the state's Know Your Zone hurricane program.
Eastern Virginia forecasts. Hurricane advisories, coastal flood warnings, and severe weather alerts for Hampton Roads.
Northern Virginia and DC metro forecasts. Severe storms, winter weather, and heat alerts for the I-95 corridor.
Statewide referral service. Disaster recovery, energy assistance, food banks, and housing resources.
August 23, 2011
On August 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Mineral, Virginia. It was felt from Georgia to Maine, by an estimated one-third of the U.S. population. The Washington Monument cracked. The National Cathedral lost pinnacles. Buildings in downtown DC were evacuated.
Virginia is not California. Most people on the East Coast have never felt an earthquake. The 2011 event was a reminder that the eastern U.S. has active seismic zones, and that buildings here were not designed for shaking. The bedrock beneath the East Coast transmits seismic waves efficiently over long distances, which is why a moderate earthquake in rural Virginia was felt 500 miles away.
For Virginia households, the earthquake lesson is about securing heavy items to walls, knowing how to shut off gas, and understanding that earthquake insurance is separate from homeowners insurance. The Mineral earthquake was moderate. The next one on the Central Virginia seismic zone may not be.