Fairfax County leaders now have a new tool in addressing the flood-prone properties in the county.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a new report last Tuesday (May 13) updating and detailing the county’s list of “repetitive-loss areas” — properties that have seen two or more claims of over $1,000 in losses through the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP.
The voluminous report serves two main purposes:
- Allowing county officials to prioritize mitigation efforts, and
- Potentially moving the county into a more advantageous rating category for the flood-insurance program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
If Fairfax advances from its current Class 6 ranking into Class 5, property owners covered by the program would see their annual insurance costs reduced. More than 4,200 parcels with insurance coverage totaling $1.1 billion could be impacted.
“It’s complex, but the moral of the story is the process saves money for a lot of our residents,” said Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who delivered the report to his colleagues at the May 13 meeting.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay said the document represents an “excellent, well-done presentation.” The work was completed by county staff and contractors AECOM and AtkinsRéalis.
The report identifies 679 structures spread across 32 areas countywide with repetitive claims, including 98 described as at severe risk of repetitive losses. The latter category includes those that already have had four or more claims exceeding $5,000, suggesting that they’re most in need of being addressed.
Countywide, the most affected areas include Belle View/New Alexandria, Huntington, Lake Anne in Reston and the Bel Air neighborhood in West Falls Church.
Some of the impacted properties are within 100-year floodplains as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), while others are not. While many are affected by nearby water sources, others are at risk due to poor grading and draining.
The discussion came on a day when Northern Virginia was being pummeled by heavy spring rains, as several supervisors noted.
For properties affected by regular flooding, staff and consultants engaged in a five-step process:
- Advising all property owners that the analysis would be conducted, requesting their input
- Contacting agencies and organizations that may have plans or studies that address the causes or impacts of the flooding
- Visiting each property and collecting basic data
- Reviewing options to address flooding risk at each property
- Documenting the findings for inclusion in the final report
The report for each property includes options to address flooding risk. They vary by parcel but include:
- Demolition and acquisition of the property
- Elevating the house and service equipment, such as utilities and electrical circuits, above the flood level
- Wet floodproofing, installing flood openings and using only flood-damage resistant materials below the flood level
- Installing flood walls or levees between the houses and water sources
- Waterproofing foundation walls
- Filling below-ground basements/crawlspaces
- Installing neighborhood drainage infrastructure improvements to increase pipe capacity, add swales channels and roadside ditches, or divert runoff away from the structure
The report also documents ongoing efforts to address flood-prone properties. They include improvements to the levee system in Huntington and purchasing and demolishing properties most prone to flooding issues that can’t otherwise be mitigated.
The county also launched a Flood Mitigation Assistance Program last summer that offers reimbursement to residents who implement flood-proofing projects.
Fairfax County has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program since 1972. Communities are rated on a 1-to-10 scale, with lower numbers representing more aggressive flood-prevention measures that are eligible for up to 45% discounts on NFIP premiums.
Fairfax County achieved its current Class 6 rating in 2014, giving county residents a 20% discount on flood-insurance premiums.
Moving into Class 5 would result in 25% discounts from basic premiums. Across Virginia, only Henrico and James City counties and the city of Norfolk have reached that level.
