States / Virginia

Virginia

59%

Population of State Living in Coastal Areas

$140 Billion

Coastal Employment
Annual Wages

30

Climate and Weather Disasters
(Affecting Virginia 2010 to 2018)*

Coastal Demographics

Of the total population of approximately 8.3 million in Virginia, 4.9 million people live in coastal portions of the state.

Coastal Economy

Coastal Virginia employs almost 2.3 million people annually, earning a total of approximately $140 billion. This equates to almost $344 billion in gross domestic product.

Natural Hazards

Seven billion-dollar weather disasters affected Virginia in 2018—and a total of 30 affected the state between 2010 and 2018. Severe storms made up the majority of these events, with a total of 15 impacting Virginia between 2010 and 2018. In May 2018, a derecho event—a widespread long-lived wind storm—caused significant high-wind damage in Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, and Connecticut, with total costs of $1.4 billion.

Virginia graphic
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Sources:

American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates (NOAA Data)

*Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (NOAA Website)

(All economic and demographic facts represent the latest data available [2015] and are regularly updated as new data become available)

Making a Difference
in Virginia

NOAA Provides Assistance to Coastal Communities

The Takeaway: Some U.S. coastal communities have plentiful data for creating robust resilience plans. Others are struggling to catch up. NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is focused on providing equal access to the data, tools, and expertise they deserve.

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Tool Reduces Ocean Conflicts

The Takeaway: Offering a cohesive approach to offshore management, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan aids industries connected to offshore energy, tourism, undersea cables, and marine traffic.

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