FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
North Carolina · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Chatham County, NC
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Tropical Storm.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 67
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Tropical Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Chatham County ranks in the riskiest 33% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 71% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 5 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2023, most often tropical storm, 30% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 33%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- tropical storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Chatham County compare?
Chatham County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
5 Top 29% higher than 71% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Chatham County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the North Carolina county average
How disaster-prone is Chatham County?
Declaration frequency
Chatham County, North Carolina has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 4% above the North Carolina county average of 4.8 and 30% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Tropical Storm, with 2 of 5 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 67.2/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $24.8M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Moderate community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hurricane carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put Chatham County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. North Carolina Avg
+4%
State avg: 4.8
vs. National Avg
+30%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Chatham County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Chatham County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
37037
NC state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Tropical Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Depression 1
Hurricane 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 4 80.0%
of all 5 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 20.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3637 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4889 | TROPICAL DEPRESSION CHANTAL | DR | Tropical Depression | 2025-09-11 |
| 3617 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-26 |
| 3608 | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-08-06 |
| 3586 | HURRICANE IAN | EM | Hurricane | 2022-10-01 |
Storm Events in North Carolina
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,693 | 13 | 66 | $69.0M |
| Flash Flood | 2,171 | 113 | 7 | $2.4B |
| Hail | 1,922 | 0 | 0 | $122.5M |
| Winter Weather | 1,492 | 6 | 2 | $425.0K |
| Winter Storm | 932 | 7 | 0 | $11.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 67.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$24.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Drought Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in North Carolina
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Chatham County, North Carolina had?
Chatham County, North Carolina has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Chatham County?
The most common disaster type in Chatham County is Tropical Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Winter Storm (1), Tropical Depression (1), Hurricane (1).
How does Chatham County's disaster risk compare to the North Carolina average?
Chatham County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina county average of 4.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 30% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Chatham County received?
Chatham County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 20% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in North Carolina?
The most common storm types in North Carolina include Thunderstorm Wind (8,693 events), Flash Flood (2,171 events), Hail (1,922 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Chatham County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Chatham County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Chatham County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Chatham County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Chatham County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Chatham County, North Carolina has an overall risk score of 67.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $24.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Chatham County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Chatham County is Hurricane (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Chatham County
Chatham County, NC runs 4% above the North Carolina county average for federal disaster declarations (5 vs 5), a moderate historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (4 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. North Carolina overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.