Beaufort County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Beaufort County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.2 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, winter weather. Its storm record holds 507 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.5 | $40M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.5 | $469K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.2 | $2.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.6 | $2.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.4 | $403K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | $651K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 70.8 | $708K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 66.3 | $98K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $6.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 55.4 | $81K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.2 | $95K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 40.0 | $133K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.2 | $418K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 48.1 | $186K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.0 | $213 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 195 | 2 | $428K | 86th of 100 | 1838th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 137 | 0 | $257K | 85th of 100 | 1840th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 2 | $46M | 28th of 100 | 1114th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 34 | 2 | $153M | 20th of 100 | 207th of 1,849 |
| Winter storms | 34 | 5 | $85K | 94th of 100 | 2376th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 32 | 0 | $75M | 96th of 100 | 2098th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | – | 51st of 100 | 1788th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 42nd of 100 | 1589th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $8K | 94th of 100 | 2520th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 93rd of 100 | 2616th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $167K | 84th of 100 | 1777th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 94th of 100 | 2158th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Beaufort County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.