Flooding in Fairfax, VA: the figures
What Fairfax homeowners and renters should check first, with a source for every figure.
Homes built before 1980 make up 68% of the housing in Fairfax; across Fairfax County the share is 44%.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Written estimate before work starts
- Water removal, drying and repair
From your call to a written estimate
Call (833) 728-2327
Say what is wet, where the water came from and whether it is still running. The call is answered any hour.
Stop the source
If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.
Inspection and written estimate
The crew checks the water category, measures moisture in walls and floors, photographs the damage and writes the estimate before work starts.
Written for homeowners in the Fairfax area.
For every $100,000 of buildings in Fairfax's ZIP codes, FEMA's model expects about $56 a year in inland flood damage, compared with $67 across Virginia.
What the flood figures say for Fairfax
Fairfax County logged 97 days with flash flood or flood reports from 2016 to 2025, according to NOAA storm reports, and has had 8 major disaster declarations for floods and storms since 2000. The city of Fairfax sits a little below the county on FEMA's measures. The National Risk Index puts its yearly inland flood loss at 56 per $100,000 of building value, against 64 for the county and 67 for Virginia, and FEMA flood insurance records show 0.5 claims per 1,000 homes from 2016 to 2025, against 0.8 countywide. When a claim was paid in the county, the building payment averaged $21,419.
Those numbers describe frequent, local flash floods. NOAA climate normals show about 10 days a year with an inch of rain or more, and when a storm stalls, small streams such as Accotink Creek and the storm drains can overflow into low yards, streets and basements. With 68% of homes built before 1980, and basements common in houses of that age, water that reaches a foundation finds old window wells, stairwells and floor drains.
Creek and street water that gets inside counts as Category 3. It carries soil, runoff and sewage, and the restoration crew removes soaked carpet, drywall and insulation, then disinfects before drying. A homeowners policy does not cover it, and 1.1% of county homes carry federal flood insurance. For water removal from a flooded basement in the Fairfax area, ask the crew to measure moisture in the foundation walls as well as the floor.
Flood and weather figures for Fairfax
Fairfax figures: about 24,478 residents in the city, by the Census.
On about 99 nights a year the temperature near Fairfax's ZIP codes drops to freezing or below, so pipes in garages, crawl spaces and outside walls need attention in winter.
In Fairfax, 26% of homes are apartments or condos in buildings of five units or more.
14% of households in Fairfax moved into their home in 2021 or later.
- 68% Homes built before 1980Fairfax County: 44%
- 9,317 Housing units
- 24,478 Residents
- 56 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueFairfax County: 64
- 99 Nights a year at or below 32 degreesFairfax County: 92
- 26% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsFairfax County: 29%
- 23 Nights a year at or below 20 degreesFairfax County: 21
- 19 Average snowfall a year, in inchesFairfax County: 16
- 10 Days a year with an inch of rain or moreFairfax County: 12
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.
Lowering the risk in Fairfax
Census figures show 68% of Fairfax homes were built before 1980, and older basements are where storm water usually finds its way in. Before the next storm, clear out the downspouts and extend them well past the foundation and fill low spots where water stands against the walls. Check that window wells drain and have covers.
Test the sump pump by pouring a bucket of water into the pit until it switches on, and add a battery backup, since summer storms and winter ice both cut power. Ask a plumber about a backwater valve if your floor drain has backed up before. Lift boxes, tools and electronics off the basement floor onto shelves.
Check FEMA's flood map for your street. FEMA notes a 30-day waiting period before a new flood policy takes effect, so buy it before storm season. Ask your agent whether your homeowners policy includes sewer and drain backup coverage.
Winter adds a second risk, with 99 nights a year at or below 32 degrees and about 19 inches of snow. Insulate pipes in exterior walls and keep snow away from basement windows. If water gets in, cut power to the basement, photograph everything and start water mitigation within 24 to 48 hours. A floor drain backup brings sewage, which calls for sewage cleanup and removal of soaked carpet and drywall. Owners with a second home can arrange water removal in Reston through the same line.
Getting your paperwork ready in Fairfax
Get ready in Fairfax before the water does. Check your address on FEMA's flood maps, record a short video of every room, and keep policy numbers and the location of the main shutoff and breaker panel on paper. Store important papers above the basement floor. When water comes in, take photos of the water line before anything is moved; those pictures matter for the cleanup plan and for any claim. Laminate and hardwood under floodwater often need subfloor water damage repair once drying ends.
What Fairfax callers ask about floods
What does a FEMA flood risk rating mean for my Fairfax home?
How do I keep storm water out of a Fairfax basement?
Is flood cleanup different from other water damage?
What should I do after floodwater gets into my Fairfax home?
Where can I check the flood zone for a Fairfax address?
Keep reading about Fairfax
water damage cost guide around Fairfax
Price ranges, cost drivers and estimate checks for Fairfax homes.
Fairfax guide to insurance and water damage
Which kinds of water damage insurance usually pays for in Fairfax, and how to document a claim.
guide to the first hour after water damage around Fairfax
The first hour after a leak or flood in Fairfax: what to shut off, what to photograph and what to move.
Fairfax guide to burst and frozen pipes
Why pipes burst in Fairfax homes, what freezing nights and older plumbing mean, and what to do first.
Water damage in Fairfax? Call (833) 728-2327
Answered 24/7, with a written estimate before any work starts.