FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
North Carolina · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
McDowell County, NC
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Tropical Storm.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 59
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Tropical Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places McDowell County in the top 41% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 59% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does McDowell County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the North Carolina county average and the national county average.
- McDowell County
- 4
- North Carolina county avg
- 4.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is McDowell County?
McDowell County, North Carolina has recorded 4 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 1.3 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 16% below the North Carolina county average of 4.8 and 7% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Tropical Storm, with 2 of 4 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 59.2/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $16.8M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively High and community resilience scores Relatively Low - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Landslide (Relatively Moderate).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place McDowell County at a low relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How McDowell County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Low
vs. North Carolina Avg
-16%
State avg: 4.8
vs. National Avg
+7%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.3
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - McDowell County
The radar plots McDowell 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
37111
NC state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 4 FEMA disaster declarations in McDowell County by incident type.
Tropical Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Hurricane 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 3 75.0%
of all 4 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 25.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for McDowell County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 4 FEMA disaster declarations for McDowell County, North Carolina.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3637 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4827 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-28 |
| 3617 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-26 |
| 3586 | HURRICANE IAN | EM | Hurricane | 2022-10-01 |
Storm Events in North Carolina
NOAA severe weather data for North Carolina (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,857 | 11 | 60 | $65.3M |
| Flash Flood | 2,097 | 113 | 6 | $2.4B |
| Hail | 1,762 | 0 | 0 | $122.5M |
| Winter Weather | 1,359 | 6 | 2 | $425.0K |
| Winter Storm | 848 | 7 | 0 | $11.1M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for McDowell County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 59.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in McDowell County.
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Heat Wave 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
Other North Carolina counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has McDowell County, North Carolina had?
McDowell County, North Carolina has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in McDowell County?
The most common disaster type in McDowell County is Tropical Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Winter Storm (1), Hurricane (1).
How does McDowell County's disaster risk compare to the North Carolina average?
McDowell County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina county average of 4.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 7% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has McDowell County received?
McDowell County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 25% of all 4 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 (7,857 events), Flash Flood (2,097 events), Hail (1,762 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in McDowell County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in McDowell County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for McDowell County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, McDowell County has a low disaster risk level with 4 total declarations. This county has relatively few disaster declarations compared to the national average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for McDowell County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, McDowell County, North Carolina has an overall risk score of 59.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to McDowell County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in McDowell County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Lightning (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 McDowell County
McDowell County, NC has 4 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 16% below the North Carolina county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (3 of 4) - 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.
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 report a data error.