Falls Church homes face highest flood risk in D.C. area
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As the DMV continues to deal with flooding this summer, homes in some areas could be at higher risks than others.
The big picture: This year, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued the most flash flood warnings for the Washington region in over two decades.
- Earlier this month, flash flooding overwhelmed DMV roads and trapped vehicles — prompting dozens of water rescues.
- This comes as rainstorms are getting more intense in D.C. amid human-driven climate change.
By the numbers: 4.5% of homes in the Washington region are at severe flood risk, per Zillow's climate risk scores, which are fueled by the climate risk firm First Street.
- That number jumps to 14.8% when isolated to the city of Falls Church, the highest in the region.
- It's 7.5% for D.C., 7.3% for Alexandria, 7.2% for Arlington County, 5.1% for Montgomery County, and 4.5% for both Fairfax and Prince George's counties.
Between the lines: A property's flood risk score increases "as the 30-year cumulative flood likelihood increases or as the projected depth of flooding increases," per First Street's site.
- "Properties with a higher Flood Factor are either more likely to flood, are more likely to experience high floods or both," per the site.
Caveat: Zillow just started including First Street's scores on its listings last September, and therefore doesn't have data showing changes in flood scores over past years, per a representative.