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Mount FairMount Fair · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Free Union · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Free Union

Free Union isn’t graded for hazard risk: Free Union has 124 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 21 declared for Albemarle County
By hazard

What Free Union 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

88%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 16 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Tornadoes Wildfire Strong wind Landslides top 2% Hail Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Lightning Heat waves
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 Free Union flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Free Union. 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

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

Insurance rates: Albemarle County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Free Union

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

  1. 2011Earthquake2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Free UnionAlbemarle County only

Albemarle County has had 21 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Albemarle County, 2001–2001.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Free Union archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Free Union 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 ↗
Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
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 Free Union

Is Free Union 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 Albemarle County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Free Union?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Free Union’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 Free Union?

By FEMA money that reached Free Union, Earthquake (2011): 2 households applied for aid, $2K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Free Union.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Free Union’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.