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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Williamsburg · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Williamsburg

Williamsburg isn’t graded for hazard risk: Williamsburg has 510 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 12 declared for Wayne County
By hazard

What Williamsburg faces

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

River and rain flooding

78%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 17 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Hail Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves top 4% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Williamsburg flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Williamsburg. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

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

Williamsburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Wayne County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Williamsburg

Disasters that paid out in Williamsburg itself (aid to households or repair grants to Williamsburg), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding26 households applied for aid$230K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes3 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
  3. 2005Severe Winter Storms and Flooding13 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WilliamsburgWayne County only

Wayne County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Williamsburg after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Williamsburg archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Williamsburg faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Williamsburg

Is Williamsburg in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Wayne County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Williamsburg?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Williamsburg’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Williamsburg?

By FEMA money that reached Williamsburg, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2026): 26 households applied for aid, $230K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Williamsburg.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Williamsburg’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.