Storms, floods and disasters in Herndon
Herndon isn’t graded for hazard risk: Herndon has 366 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 52 claims here since 1978.
What Herndon 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 Herndon flood? Sometimes: 52 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Herndon, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan15 claims · $213K
- Tropical Storm Lee13 claims · $346K
Herndon is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Northumberland County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Herndon
Disasters that paid out in Herndon itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Herndon), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee44 households applied for aid$97K aid approved13 flood claims paid for it, $346K
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan16 households applied for aid$32K aid approved15 flood claims paid for it, $213K
Northumberland County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Herndon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Herndon archive →Herndon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | Bless damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 25 |
| Port Trevorton | — | 687 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Jackson Township | — | 825 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Herndon 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.
- Herndon residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Herndon
Does Herndon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 52 claims in Herndon since 1978, $760K in all. 8 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (15).
Is Herndon 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 Northumberland County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Herndon?
Herndon is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Herndon?
By FEMA money that reached Herndon, Tropical Storm Lee (2011): 44 households applied for aid, $97K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 15 paid, $213K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Herndon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Herndon’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.