Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Storms, floods and disasters in Chesapeake
Chesapeake isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Chesapeake yet. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978.
What Chesapeake 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
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.
Does Chesapeake flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Chesapeake, from FEMA’s records.
Chesapeake isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lawrence County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Chesapeake
Disasters that paid out in Chesapeake itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Chesapeake), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
- 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow28 households applied for aid$26K aid approved$174K to the Village of Chesapeake for repairs
Lawrence County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Chesapeake after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Chesapeake archive →Chesapeake and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | Cmore damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 258 |
| Union Township | Dmore damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 72 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Chesapeake faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Chesapeake
Does Chesapeake flood?
Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Chesapeake since 1978, $41K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Chesapeake 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 Lawrence County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Chesapeake?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Chesapeake’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 Chesapeake?
By FEMA money that reached Chesapeake, Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow (2003): 28 households applied for aid, $26K approved, and $174K to the Village of Chesapeake for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Chesapeake.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Chesapeake’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.