FEMA declarations
85
Above median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
North Carolina Natural Disasters
North Carolina's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 85 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by hurricane, with $6.5B in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 16,367 recorded weather events resulting in 301 fatalities, a toll that informs where the state directs disaster-preparedness resources.
- 85
- FEMA declarations
- 16,367
- NOAA storm events
- 301
- Storm fatalities
- $6.5B
- Property + crop damage
The North Carolina risk picture
5 of the 100 counties FEMA scores, 5%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. North Carolina has 57 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 240 injuries statewide.
- 5%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 85
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $6.5B
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 108,723
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
67%
Major-heavy
NOAA storm events
16,367
Observed severe-weather records
How does North Carolina compare?
North Carolina vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
85 Top 41% higher than 59% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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 · 2026-08-25
North Carolina county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
66.7 42nd percentile higher than 42% of 100 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
North Carolina sits at the 56th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 67th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes North Carolina's record?
FEMA declaration types in North Carolina
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Hurricane
Hurricane
34 declarations
- Severe Storm 11
Severe Storm
11 declarations
- Fire 10
Fire
10 declarations
- Flood 8
Flood
8 declarations
- Snowstorm 4
Snowstorm
4 declarations
- Tropical Storm 4
Tropical Storm
4 declarations
- Tornado 4
Tornado
4 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 4
Severe Ice Storm
4 declarations
What this shows Hurricane leads North Carolina's FEMA declaration mix with 34 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in North Carolina
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2018 (1,846 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
78 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
North Carolina · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
14/30
85 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.0x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Very High
19/25
16367 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.5x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Very High
25/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (11.3x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
13 different disaster types declared in North Carolina
What does North Carolina's hazard record show?
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 100North Carolina counties have filed 108,723 NFIP claims totaling $2.3B, or an average of $21.1K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $2.1B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, North Carolina recorded 16,367 individual storm events, causing 301 fatalities and 240 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $6.5B. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (7,123 events), Flash Flood (1,881 events), Hail (1,623 events). Across the 100counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 5 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 66.7/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
North Carolina (NC) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 85 FEMA declaration records, including 57 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Hurricane, followed by Severe Storm (11), Fire (10), Flood (8). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Disaster Types in North Carolina
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Hurricane
40.0%
34 declarations
Severe Storm
12.9%
11 declarations
Fire
11.8%
10 declarations
Flood
9.4%
8 declarations
Snowstorm
4.7%
4 declarations
Tropical Storm
4.7%
4 declarations
Tornado
4.7%
4 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
4.7%
4 declarations
Biological
2.4%
2 declarations
Winter Storm
1.2%
1 declarations
Drought
1.2%
1 declarations
Tropical Depression
1.2%
1 declarations
Mud/Landslide
1.2%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for North Carolina (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,123 | 11 | 60 | $62.9M |
| Flash Flood | 1,881 | 105 | 6 | $2.3B |
| Hail | 1,623 | 0 | 0 | $122.5M |
| Winter Weather | 1,272 | 6 | 2 | $425.0K |
| Winter Storm | 743 | 7 | 0 | $10.7M |
| Flood | 545 | 28 | 2 | $868.8M |
| Heavy Rain | 412 | 2 | 0 | $88.5K |
| Tropical Storm | 379 | 25 | 4 | $518.5M |
| High Wind | 342 | 4 | 1 | $47.5M |
| Tornado | 339 | 9 | 90 | $445.1M |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 293 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Strong Wind | 284 | 9 | 16 | $35.3M |
| Heavy Snow | 221 | 0 | 0 | $10.0K |
| Excessive Heat | 215 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Lightning | 128 | 13 | 58 | $3.9M |
| Drought | 105 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Rip Current | 101 | 56 | 0 | $0 |
| Coastal Flood | 78 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M |
| Ice Storm | 73 | 0 | 0 | $25.0K |
| Frost/Freeze | 56 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,679 | 13 | 12 | $47.0M |
| 2024 | 1,570 | 98 | 29 | $2.1B |
| 2023 | 1,380 | 4 | 36 | $307.2M |
| 2022 | 1,586 | 10 | 9 | $30.9M |
| 2021 | 904 | 13 | 30 | $219.8M |
| 2020 | 1,691 | 27 | 25 | $79.9M |
| 2019 | 1,447 | 16 | 12 | $149.3M |
| 2018 | 1,846 | 50 | 18 | $2.0B |
| 2017 | 1,224 | 17 | 19 | $60.6M |
| 2016 | 1,656 | 47 | 23 | $832.1M |
| 2015 | 1,384 | 6 | 27 | $25.6M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 85 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 85 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
85 unique disaster declarations in North Carolina.
| 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 |
| 5582 | SUNSET DRIVE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-05-03 |
| 5580 | SAM DAVIS ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-04-20 |
| 5578 | TABLE ROCK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-27 |
| 5577 | ALARKA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-26 |
| 5574 | BLACK COVE FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2025-03-22 |
| 4837 | POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE EIGHT | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-10-19 |
| 4827 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-28 |
| 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 |
| 4617 | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRED | DR | Hurricane | 2021-09-08 |
| 4588 | TROPICAL STORM ETA | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-03-03 |
| 4568 | HURRICANE ISAIAS | DR | Hurricane | 2020-10-14 |
| 3534 | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM | Hurricane | 2020-08-02 |
| 4543 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-05-08 |
| 4487 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-25 |
| 3471 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4465 | HURRICANE DORIAN | DR | Hurricane | 2019-10-04 |
| 3423 | HURRICANE DORIAN | EM | Hurricane | 2019-09-03 |
| 4412 | TROPICAL STORM MICHAEL | DR | Hurricane | 2019-01-31 |
| 4393 | HURRICANE FLORENCE | DR | Hurricane | 2018-09-14 |
| 3401 | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM | Hurricane | 2018-09-10 |
| 4364 | TORNADO AND SEVERE STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-05-08 |
| 5164 | CHESTNUT KNOB FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-11-19 |
| 5161 | PARTY ROCK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-11-11 |
| 4285 | HURRICANE MATTHEW | DR | Hurricane | 2016-10-10 |
| 3380 | HURRICANE MATTHEW | EM | Hurricane | 2016-10-07 |
| 4167 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2014-03-31 |
| 4153 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2013-10-29 |
| 4146 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2013-09-25 |
| 4103 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Mud/Landslide | 2013-03-01 |
| 4019 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-08-31 |
| 3327 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-25 |
| 2936 | SIMMONS ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2011-07-04 |
| 1969 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-04-19 |
| 1942 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-10-14 |
| 3314 | HURRICANE EARL | EM | Hurricane | 2010-09-01 |
| 1871 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-02-02 |
| 1801 | TROPICAL STORM HANNA | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-10-08 |
| 2773 | EVANS ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2008-06-13 |
| 1608 | HURRICANE OPHELIA | DR | Hurricane | 2005-10-07 |
| 3254 | HURRICANE OPHELIA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-14 |
| 3222 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-05 |
| 1553 | HURRICANE IVAN | DR | Hurricane | 2004-09-18 |
| 1546 | TROPICAL STORM FRANCES | DR | Hurricane | 2004-09-10 |
| 1490 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-18 |
| 1457 | ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2003-03-27 |
| 1448 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2002-12-12 |
Showing 50 of 85 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for North Carolina counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
66.7/100
High Risk Counties
5
of 100 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$2.1B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$2.1B EAL
#2
Hurricane
$1.3B EAL
#3
Tornado
$342.4M EAL
#4
Cold Wave
$190.8M EAL
#5
Earthquake
$99.5M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across North Carolina from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
108,723
Total Paid
$2.3B
Avg Per Claim
$21.1K
Counties With Claims
100
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in North Carolina
100 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brunswick County | 35 | Relatively High | 18 |
| 2 | New Hanover County | 32 | Relatively High | 16 |
| 3 | Craven County | 32 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 4 | Hyde County | 32 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 5 | Beaufort County | 32 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 6 | Pender County | 31 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 7 | Dare County | 31 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 8 | Pamlico County | 30 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 9 | Onslow County | 30 | Relatively High | 15 |
| 10 | Carteret County | 30 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 11 | Pitt County | 30 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 12 | Lenoir County | 29 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 13 | Columbus County | 29 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 14 | Davidson County | 29 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 15 | Hertford County | 28 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 16 | Wayne County | 28 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 17 | Nash County | 28 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 18 | Bertie County | 28 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 19 | Guilford County | 28 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 20 | Wilson County | 28 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 21 | Jones County | 27 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 22 | Edgecombe County | 27 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 23 | Alamance County | 27 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 24 | Person County | 27 | Very Low | 13 |
| 25 | Greene County | 27 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 26 | Johnston County | 27 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 27 | Bladen County | 27 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 28 | Ashe County | 26 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 29 | Duplin County | 26 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 30 | Granville County | 26 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 31 | Halifax County | 26 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 32 | Wake County | 26 | Relatively High | 12 |
| 33 | Orange County | 26 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 34 | Chowan County | 26 | Very Low | 12 |
| 35 | Rockingham County | 25 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 36 | Sampson County | 25 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 37 | Tyrrell County | 25 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 38 | Caswell County | 25 | Very Low | 11 |
| 39 | Northampton County | 25 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 40 | Stokes County | 25 | Very Low | 11 |
| 41 | Forsyth County | 25 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 42 | Durham County | 25 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 43 | Watauga County | 24 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 44 | Warren County | 24 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 45 | Washington County | 24 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 46 | Robeson County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 47 | Perquimans County | 24 | Very Low | 10 |
| 48 | Montgomery County | 24 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 49 | Currituck County | 24 | Very Low | 9 |
| 50 | Burke County | 24 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 51 | Randolph County | 24 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 52 | Vance County | 23 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 53 | Camden County | 23 | Very Low | 9 |
| 54 | Cumberland County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 55 | Martin County | 23 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 56 | Iredell County | 23 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 57 | Moore County | 23 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 58 | Pasquotank County | 23 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 59 | Lee County | 23 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 60 | Polk County | 23 | Very Low | 12 |
| 61 | Caldwell County | 23 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 62 | Harnett County | 23 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 63 | Yancey County | 23 | Very Low | 14 |
| 64 | Franklin County | 23 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 65 | Madison County | 23 | Very Low | 14 |
| 66 | Davie County | 22 | Very Low | 9 |
| 67 | Gates County | 22 | Very Low | 8 |
| 68 | Anson County | 22 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 69 | Chatham County | 22 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 70 | Wilkes County | 22 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 71 | Avery County | 22 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 72 | Rutherford County | 22 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 73 | Catawba County | 21 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 74 | Yadkin County | 21 | Very Low | 8 |
| 75 | Mitchell County | 21 | Very Low | 12 |
| 76 | Lincoln County | 21 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 77 | Stanly County | 21 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 78 | Haywood County | 21 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 79 | Buncombe County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 80 | Union County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 81 | McDowell County | 21 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 82 | Rowan County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 83 | Cleveland County | 20 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 84 | Hoke County | 20 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 85 | Gaston County | 20 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 86 | Surry County | 20 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 87 | Alleghany County | 20 | Very Low | 10 |
| 88 | Richmond County | 20 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 89 | Scotland County | 19 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 90 | Jackson County | 19 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 91 | Cabarrus County | 19 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 92 | Alexander County | 19 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 93 | Mecklenburg County | 18 | Relatively High | 7 |
| 94 | Henderson County | 18 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 95 | Transylvania County | 18 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 96 | Macon County | 17 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 97 | Swain County | 17 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 98 | Graham County | 17 | Very Low | 8 |
| 99 | Cherokee County | 16 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 100 | Clay County | 13 | Very Low | 4 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in North Carolina are Mecklenburg (Relatively High), New Hanover (Relatively High), Brunswick (Relatively High), Wake (Relatively High), Onslow (Relatively High). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 100 counties in North Carolina are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for North Carolina: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. North Carolina: 66.7 across 100 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. North Carolina: 85. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
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Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect North Carolina?
North Carolina is affected by hurricane, severe storm, fire, flood. The state's leading disaster type is Hurricane, based on 85 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has North Carolina had?
North Carolina has received 85 FEMA disaster declarations, including 57 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Hurricane (34), Severe Storm (11), Fire (10).
What severe weather events are most common in North Carolina?
The most common severe weather events in North Carolina include thunderstorm wind (7,123 events), flash flood (1,881 events), hail (1,623 events). Between 2015 and 2025, NOAA recorded these events causing 301 fatalities and $6.5B in property and crop damage.
How active is North Carolina's federal disaster declaration record?
North Carolina has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 85 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 301 fatalities and 240 injuries. Combined NOAA-listed property and crop losses total $6.5B.
How many flood insurance claims has North Carolina had?
North Carolina has 108,723 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $2.3B total paid out. The average claim payment is $21.1K, with 100 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in North Carolina have the most disaster declarations?
Among 100 counties in North Carolina, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Brunswick (35 declarations), New Hanover (32 declarations), Craven (32 declarations). County-by-county figures show where the state's federal declaration history concentrates.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for North Carolina
Brunswick alone accounts for 41% of North Carolina's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 100 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Brunswick and New Hanover carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how North Carolina ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.