Norfolk city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Norfolk city's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 506 flood losses here since 2016, 20% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Norfolk city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 33.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 19.0% |
| Mapped soil | 40,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Altavista | 10% | n/a |
| State | 5% | n/a |
| Augusta | 5% | n/a |
| Tomotley | 5% | n/a |
| Bethera | 2% | n/a |
| Bohicket | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA715 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 28% of Norfolk city's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.17 in, 9.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.94 in.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
506 flood losses since 2016, $6.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 374. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 20% basements, 19% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 374 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 12 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.17 in (-9.77) |
| 2025 | 44.34 in (-3.60) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2016: 64.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 27.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORFOLK NAS (3 mi away) | 10.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 103,524 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 46% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $289,900 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth city, VA | 8 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Hampton city, VA | 9 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Poquoson city, VA | 15 mi | 5% | 54% |
| Virginia Beach city, VA | 16 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Chesapeake city, VA | 17 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Newport News city, VA | 19 mi | 8% | 32% |
| York County, VA | 22 mi | 3% | 59% |
| Isle of Wight County, VA | 26 mi | 7% | 73% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status