Is Westmoreland County, VA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Westmoreland County's flood hazard at the 64.8th percentile nationally — a middling flood hazard by national standards — driven by coastal storm surge rather than inland rivers — FEMA's model puts a surge event here at about 3.6 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
36.7% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Westmoreland County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 164 policies against 447 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Westmoreland County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 2.3% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Westmoreland County ranks
Westmoreland County sits at rank 1158 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1870 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 19,235 people live in Westmoreland County, Virginia, spread over 229.327 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Westmoreland County
345 of Westmoreland County's 15,221 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Westmoreland County's numbers. Because storm surge plays a real role here, the guide to coastal vs. inland flood hazard is worth reading alongside this page.