2026 U.S. Water Damage
& Flood Risk Report
Comprehensive analysis of water damage risk across all 50 states + DC — covering 7,513,000 annual insurance claims, $83.8B in economic impact, and 511 city-level risk profiles.
Key Findings — 2026
7.5M
Annual U.S. water damage claims
Across all 50 states + DC
$83.8B
Total economic impact per year
Claims × average payout
$10,790
National average claim value
Median across all states
41/51
States rated high or very-high risk
18 have hurricane exposure
Report Highlights
- California leads all states in annual claim volume with 680,000 claims per year — nearly 9% of the national total.
- Hawaii has the highest average claim value ($22,000) due to extreme construction costs and limited contractor availability.
- 20 of the 511 cities analyzed carry a very-high flood risk rating — 9 are in Florida alone.
- 18 states have direct hurricane exposure. Gulf Coast states account for over 40% of the national economic impact despite covering less than 20% of claims by volume.
- The average U.S. water damage claim costs $10,790 — nearly identical to the cost of a full kitchen appliance package.
- 113 additional cities carry high (not very-high) risk, meaning 133 of 511 cities (26%) are rated elevated risk or higher.
State-by-State Flood Risk Rankings
All 50 states + Washington D.C. ranked by annual water damage claim volume. Claim values reflect cost of remediation, not including rebuilding or personal property.
| # | State | Annual Claims | Avg Claim | Risk Level | Hurricane |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 680,000 | $14,500 | high | — |
| 2 | Texas | 420,000 | $11,000 | high | YES |
| 3 | New York | 420,000 | $13,000 | high | YES |
| 4 | Florida | 380,000 | $15,500 | very high | YES |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 260,000 | $11,500 | high | — |
| 6 | Illinois | 240,000 | $9,500 | high | — |
| 7 | New Jersey | 240,000 | $14,000 | high | YES |
| 8 | Ohio | 230,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 9 | Michigan | 210,000 | $9,500 | high | — |
| 10 | North Carolina | 195,000 | $10,000 | high | YES |
| 11 | Georgia | 185,000 | $9,000 | high | YES |
| 12 | Missouri | 175,000 | $9,500 | high | — |
| 13 | Tennessee | 165,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 14 | Virginia | 155,000 | $10,500 | high | YES |
| 15 | Indiana | 155,000 | $8,500 | high | — |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 155,000 | $12,500 | high | YES |
| 17 | Louisiana | 145,000 | $18,000 | very high | YES |
| 18 | Washington | 145,000 | $10,500 | high | — |
| 19 | Colorado | 145,000 | $8,000 | medium | — |
| 20 | Alabama | 145,000 | $10,000 | high | YES |
| 21 | Kentucky | 145,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 22 | Minnesota | 140,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 23 | South Carolina | 140,000 | $11,000 | high | YES |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 135,000 | $8,000 | medium | — |
| 25 | Mississippi | 135,000 | $9,500 | high | YES |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 130,000 | $9,500 | high | — |
| 27 | Iowa | 125,000 | $8,500 | high | — |
| 28 | Maryland | 120,000 | $12,000 | high | YES |
| 29 | Arkansas | 115,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 30 | Connecticut | 110,000 | $12,000 | high | YES |
| 31 | Kansas | 110,000 | $8,500 | high | — |
| 32 | Nebraska | 105,000 | $8,500 | high | — |
| 33 | Oregon | 100,000 | $11,000 | high | — |
| 34 | Arizona | 95,000 | $8,500 | medium | — |
| 35 | West Virginia | 90,000 | $9,000 | high | — |
| 36 | Utah | 85,000 | $9,000 | medium | — |
| 37 | New Mexico | 65,000 | $8,500 | medium | — |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 65,000 | $11,000 | high | — |
| 39 | Delaware | 65,000 | $12,000 | high | YES |
| 40 | Maine | 60,000 | $11,000 | high | — |
| 41 | Nevada | 58,000 | $9,800 | medium | — |
| 42 | Idaho | 55,000 | $9,000 | medium | — |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 55,000 | $11,500 | high | YES |
| 44 | North Dakota | 55,000 | $8,500 | high | — |
| 45 | South Dakota | 50,000 | $8,500 | medium | — |
| 46 | Vermont | 50,000 | $11,000 | high | — |
| 47 | Hawaii | 45,000 | $22,000 | high | YES |
| 48 | Montana | 45,000 | $10,000 | medium | — |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 45,000 | $15,000 | high | YES |
| 50 | Wyoming | 40,000 | $9,500 | medium | — |
| 51 | Alaska | 35,000 | $18,000 | high | — |
Top 10 rows highlighted. Click any state name to view local city data and restoration resources.
Most Expensive States for Water Damage
States ranked by average claim payout — driven by construction costs, contractor availability, remoteness, and severity of typical damage events.
Very-High Risk Cities — 2026
20 of the 522 U.S. cities analyzed carry our highest flood risk designation. All 20 cities are in coastal or river-delta environments with documented repeat flooding history.
New Orleans, LA
Orleans Parish County
Cape Coral, FL
Lee County
Naples, FL
Collier County
Metairie, LA
Jefferson Parish County
St. Petersburg, FL
Pinellas County
Lake Charles, LA
Calcasieu Parish County
Clearwater, FL
Pinellas County
Norfolk, VA
Norfolk City County
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach County
Baton Rouge, LA
East Baton Rouge Parish County
Wilmington, NC
New Hanover County
Miami, FL
Miami-Dade County
Savannah, GA
Chatham County
Nashville, TN
Davidson County
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento County
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Broward County
Tampa, FL
Hillsborough County
Miami Beach, FL
Miami-Dade County
Galveston, TX
Galveston County
Key West, FL
Monroe County
Hurricane-Exposed States
18 of 51 states have direct hurricane storm surge exposure. These states require separate windstorm/hurricane insurance riders — standard HO policies exclude hurricane damage in most affected states.
Texas
420,000 claims/yr
New York
420,000 claims/yr
Florida
380,000 claims/yr
New Jersey
240,000 claims/yr
North Carolina
195,000 claims/yr
Georgia
185,000 claims/yr
Virginia
155,000 claims/yr
Massachusetts
155,000 claims/yr
Louisiana
145,000 claims/yr
Alabama
145,000 claims/yr
South Carolina
140,000 claims/yr
Mississippi
135,000 claims/yr
Maryland
120,000 claims/yr
Connecticut
110,000 claims/yr
Delaware
65,000 claims/yr
Rhode Island
55,000 claims/yr
Hawaii
45,000 claims/yr
District of Columbia
45,000 claims/yr
Hurricane Insurance Gap Warning
Standard homeowners insurance (HO-3) covers wind-driven rain but does NOT cover storm surge flood damage from rising water. Coastal homeowners in all 18 hurricane-exposed states should carry a separate NFIP or private flood insurance policy. Claims from storm surge — which accounted for the majority of damage in Katrina, Harvey, Sandy, and Ian — are routinely denied under HO policies.
Major U.S. Flood Events — 2020 to 2026
Selected high-impact events that shaped current risk profiles across the country.
Winter Storm Uri — February 2021
Unprecedented cold gripped 27 states simultaneously. Texas alone saw 4.5M+ burst pipe claims. Total water damage losses exceeded $18B in one week.
Hurricane Ida — August 2021
Cat 4 landfall in Louisiana with 150 mph winds and 15-foot surge. Remnants caused catastrophic flash flooding in New York and New Jersey. 95 deaths, $75B total damage.
Hurricane Ian — September 2022
Category 4 landfall near Fort Myers, FL. Record storm surge of 18 feet at Cape Coral. Single-largest insurance event in Florida history at $112B.
Yellowstone River Flooding — June 2022
Record crests on Yellowstone and Clark Fork Rivers. Gardiner, MT completely cut off. Yellowstone National Park south entrance closed for the season.
Kentucky Flooding — July 2022
8–10 inches in 24 hours across 10 counties. 37 killed. Hundreds of homes in narrow mountain hollows destroyed. Eastern KY recovery took 18+ months.
Vermont Flooding — July 2023
Second major flood event in 12 years. Montpelier downtown inundated for the second time since Irene 2011. Dozens of communities cut off by road washouts.
What This Data Means for Homeowners
Check Your FEMA Flood Zone
Even properties outside FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) can flood — 40% of NFIP claims come from outside mapped flood zones. Use msc.fema.gov to look up your property's flood zone designation.
Your City's Flood Risk →Know Your Insurance Gap
Standard HO-3 homeowners policies cover sudden/accidental water damage (burst pipes, appliance leaks) but NOT flood from rising water. In hurricane states, hurricane damage riders are also typically separate. The median uninsured flood loss is $14,200.
Insurance Claims Guide →The 48-Hour Mold Rule
Water damage that isn't dried within 48 hours creates conditions for mold growth. Average water damage remediation costs increase 35–60% when mold remediation is added. Speed of professional response is the single biggest cost driver.
Find IICRC Pros Near You →Active Water Emergency?
Get IICRC-Certified Help in 30–90 Minutes
Every hour of delay increases remediation cost and mold risk. Our network covers all 50 states — 24/7.
How This Report Was Compiled
The HearthDry 2026 U.S. Water Damage & Flood Risk Report aggregates data from multiple authoritative sources to produce state- and city-level risk profiles. Data sources include:
- National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) — annual claim volume and average payout data by state, 2020–2025.
- Insurance Information Institute (III) — homeowners insurance loss data and water damage claim frequency statistics.
- FEMA National Risk Index — community-level flood risk scoring incorporated into city risk profiles.
- NOAA National Weather Service — historical severe weather event data for notable event documentation.
- U.S. Census Bureau — housing stock age data used in freeze/pipe burst risk assessments.
- State insurance department reports — state-specific claim timing requirements and market data.
- IICRC S500 Standard — remediation cost benchmarks used in city-level cost range calculations.
Flood Risk Ratings: City and state risk ratings are HearthDry's editorial assessment based on FEMA flood zone coverage, NFIP claim history, proximity to named water bodies, historical event frequency, and housing stock vulnerability. Ratings are low / medium / high / very-high and represent general community risk, not individual property risk. Always verify your specific property's FEMA flood zone at msc.fema.gov.
Claim Value Data: Average claim values represent the cost of water damage remediation (extraction, drying, demolition of affected materials) and do not include the cost of reconstruction, replacement of personal property, or additional living expenses. Actual costs vary significantly by scope, materials, and local contractor rates.
Update Frequency: This report is published annually. State data is reviewed and updated each July. City-level risk profiles are reviewed quarterly.
Cite This Report
HearthDry. "2026 U.S. Water Damage & Flood Risk Report." HearthDry.com, July 2026. https://hearthdry.com/research/us-flood-risk-report-2026
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