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Newport News Interim Local Resilience Plan
Introduction
City of Newport News, Virginia Overview
The City of Newport News is located on the coastal
plain of Virginia's Lower Peninsula (Figure 1).
Newport News is approximately 26 miles long and less
than a mile wide at its narrowest point. Its topographic
elevations range from mean sea level in the southern
sections to 70 feet further inland, with an average
elevation of about 20 feet. The City borders the James
River to the southwest, Hampton Roads to the
southeast, the City of Hampton to the east, York County
to the northeast, James City County to the north, and
is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
In 2020, Newport News' 186,247 aggregate population
resided in 74,922 households with a density of 2,700
people per square mile (Table 1) and 31% of the
population living within the coastal zone. Many
neighborhoods experience periodic flooding given
their proximity to each shoreline and associated
waterbodies, with two major watersheds, Newmarket
Creek and Salters Creek, vulnerable to significant
coastal flooding issues. Newport News participates in
the NFIP, with approximately 10% of the land mapped
in an SFHA. Much of the development in these
Figure 1. The City of Newport News, Virginia
floodplains occurred between the 1920s and 1960s,
before the existence of FIRM maps and BFE determinations. Consequently, moderately intensive nor'easter-type
storms cause substantial damage to structures located in the floodplain.
Table 1. Newport News Demographic and FEMA In addition to approximately 70 mi.2 of land, the 14 major
NFIP Data watersheds include 51 mi.2 of inland water, 2,883 acres of
Population (2020) 184,247 tidal wetlands, and 244 linear miles of tidal shoreline that are
# of Households 74,922 hydrologically connected to the James River, York River, and
Density 2,700/mi2 Chesapeake Bay basins. The extensive stormwater
Median Household Annual Income $57,922 infrastructure includes approximately 3,000 structures, 200
FIPS CODE 5156000 miles of storm sewer, 60 miles of major outfall ditches, 60
FEMA Community Number 510103 stormwater management facilities, 50 miles of roadside
NFIP Participant Yes ditches, and 53 miles of back and side lot ditches. The
CRS Class 7
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