A new survey of more than 700 Hampton Roads residents found that a majority expect major risks from flooding in the decades to come.
But people’s perceptions of flood risk varied widely depending on where they live and their demographic background, suggesting potential disparities in how the impacts of flooding are felt across the seven cities.
Questions about flooding were part of Old Dominion University’s annual Life in Hampton Roads survey, which aims to gain insight into residents’ opinions on topics including politics, health, education and the economy. The 2025 survey was conducted online, instead of via phone as in previous years.
Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, director of ODU’s Social Science Research Center, said the answers show flooding is on most residents’ minds.
“I think residents' perceptions are reflecting reality,” she said. They are “recognizing the risk of flooding to their homes and neighborhoods and to their city as a whole.”
About 72% of respondents believed there is some or a high risk of severe flooding from sea level rise in their city over the next 30 years. Residents of Norfolk were the most likely to report risk, followed closely by Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.
The proportion dropped off as the questions got more granular: About 53% of people reported risk in their specific neighborhood, and 43% to their individual property.
The ODU survey has frequently included questions about flooding and climate change, but the specific questions vary each year.
This year, officials were particularly interested in learning about the impacts of flooding on housing, reflecting growing concerns about affordable housing.
Flooding is an exacerbating factor, Vandecar-Burdin said. As flooding gets more severe, it could make some places unlivable, reducing the housing stock while making lower-risk areas less affordable.
Some Hampton Roads residents already believe the issue is impacting their property’s worth.
Almost a third of respondents said they believe flood risk has somewhat or greatly affected their area’s property values – especially in Norfolk, where the percentage was nearly half.
Black residents and those with lower household incomes were significantly more likely to report decreased property values.
Vandecar-Burdin said that’s in line with other research that shows marginalized communities are more vulnerable to flooding.
“Folks that have higher socioeconomic status have greater capacity and resources, which allow them to be more selective about where they buy or rent their home,” she said.
But increasing perceptions of flood risk don’t seem to be drastically changing people’s behavior, she said.
Only about a quarter of respondents said flood risk information influenced decisions about their current housing. And rates of buying flood insurance have barely budged since the surveys began 15 years ago.
Vandecar-Burdin said she hopes the findings will encourage local leaders to help provide residents with information on how to assess and mitigate their risk.
