Key facts
- Alert
- Coastal Flood Warning (severe)
- Issued by
- National Weather Service, Wakefield VA
- Areas
- Westmoreland; Northumberland
- In effect
- until 2:00 PM EDT, Oct 22, 2026
What the National Weather Service says
“Up to one foot of inundation above ground level in low- lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways.”
NWS Wakefield VA, Coastal Flood Warning, 2:38 AM EDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
“Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.”
NWS Wakefield VA, Coastal Flood Warning, 2:38 AM EDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
“If travel is required, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.”
NWS Wakefield VA, Coastal Flood Warning, 2:38 AM EDT Oct 22, 2026 · official alert
What to do
Protect flood-prone property now. Move valuables and vehicles away from the shoreline and tidal waterways if you can do so safely.
Avoid travel if you can. Numerous roads may close, and flooding may extend inland along tidal rivers and bays.
If you must travel, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. The National Weather Service says just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 1 foot can sweep a vehicle away.
If water threatens your home or business, move to higher ground.
Context
Federal flood-insurance claims give a sense of past flooding here. They count only insured properties, so they understate total flood damage. FEMA records show 230 claims in Westmoreland County between 1978 and 2023, and 387 claims in Northumberland County between 1982 and 2021.
Both counties have been covered by federal disaster declarations for past storms, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Michael in 2018.
Updates
- The coastal flood warning expired at 2:00 PM EDT.
- NWS Wakefield VA issued the coastal flood warning until 2:00 PM EDT.
History here
This county: 230 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1978, most recent 2023.
This county: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4644 (2022): severe winter storm and snowstorm
- DR-4411 (2018): tropical storm michael
- DR-4092 (2012): hurricane sandy
- DR-4045 (2011): the remnants of tropical storm lee
- DR-4024 (2011): hurricane irene
This county: 387 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1982, most recent 2021.
This county: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4602 (2021): severe winter storms
- DR-4411 (2018): tropical storm michael
- DR-4401 (2018): hurricane florence
- DR-4092 (2012): hurricane sandy
- DR-4024 (2011): hurricane irene
Get these alerts on your iPhone
Herebeat is an iPhone app that shows official alerts like these (National Weather Service warnings, earthquakes, wildfires, air quality and more) for the places you save, each with its source and issue time. Download Herebeat on the App Store.
Questions
- Is there a coastal flood warning in Westmoreland County, Virginia?
- Yes. The National Weather Service in Wakefield has a Coastal Flood Warning for Westmoreland and Northumberland Counties until 2:00 PM EDT on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
- How high could the water get?
- The warning says up to one foot of inundation above ground level in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. Water will be 1 to 2 feet above ground in some areas.
- What impacts are expected from this coastal flooding?
- The National Weather Service expects widespread flooding of vulnerable areas, with a threat of property damage to waterfront homes and businesses. Numerous roads may close and vehicles may flood.
Sources
- NWS Wakefield VA: Coastal Flood Warning, Oct 22, 2026 weather.gov
- FEMA OpenFEMA: NFIP claims and disaster declarations fema.gov
How this page is made. The Herebeat Hazard Desk builds event pages from official U.S. government data (National Weather Service, USGS, FEMA). The text is written with AI from that data; every number and quote is checked against the official source automatically before publishing, and the page is updated when the agency updates the event. The official source is always the reference. Spotted a mistake? info@herebeat.app. About the Hazard Desk.