These VA Counties Among Worst In U.S. For Flooding: Ranking

VIRGINIA — How at risk of flooding is your Virginia county? If you live in or frequently visit several along the Eastern Shore, the risk is higher than many other counties in the nation, according to a new ranking released this week.

Accomack County ranked among the top 25 U.S. counties most at risk for flooding, according to the ranking released by lawn care blog LawnStarter. Accomack County is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is bordered by both the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

To determine which were most at risk for flooding and flood damage, LawnStarter compared more than 940 counties with a moderate to very high flood risk by analyzing data from the Federal Emergency Agency and U.S. Census Bureau.

Data included each county’s risk and expected annual loss from riverine and coastal flooding. LawnStarter also looked at the number of people living in mobile homes, in addition to local demand for flood insurance.

Several other Virginia counties and cities made the list but were not among the top 25. Here's a glance at other counties in the Commonwealth most at risk of flooding:

• Hampton City: No. 44
• Virginia Beach City: No. 51
• Portsmouth City: No. 67
• Mathews County: No. 72

Gulf Coast states Florida, Louisiana and Texas accounted for nearly half of the 100 most vulnerable counties mainly due to hurricane-related flooding. Counties in Texas and Louisiana experience among the highest economic impacts from riverine flooding, according to the study.

Meanwhile, counties in Mid-Atlantic states like New Jersey, New York and Virginia also face the highest flood risk. Garden State counties scored among the 10 counties with the highest overall economic impact from coastal and riverine flooding.

Here's a look at the top 20 U.S. counties most at risk for flooding:

1. Harris County, TX
2. Bergen County, NJ
3. Ocean County, NJ
4. Atlantic County, NJ
5. Cape May County, NJ
6. Cameron County, TX
7. Volusia County, FL
8. Miami-Dade County, FL
9. St. Johns County, FL
10. Brevard County, FL
11. Philadelphia County, PA
12. Dixie County, FL
13. Coos County, OR
14. St. Mary Parish, LA
15. St. Martin Parish, LA
16. Middlesex County, NJ
17. Galveston County, TX
18. Livingston Parish, LA
19. Brazoria County, TX
20. Monmouth County, NJ

See the full ranking online.