Brunswick County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Brunswick County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.8 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 641 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 | Very High | 99.1 | $111M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.8 | $395K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.4 | $1.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 89.4 | $4.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.9 | $431K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $24M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.0 | $4.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | $1.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 72.7 | $814K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | $1.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.7 | $1.7M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.9 | $259 |
| Drought | Very Low | 28.8 | $16K |
| Hail | Very Low | 24.5 | $70K |
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 | 150 | 0 | $1.1M | 93rd of 100 | 2011th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 140 | 1 | $6.8M | 40th of 100 | 993rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 139 | 0 | $57K | 75th of 100 | 1712th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 3 | $6.3M | 25th of 100 | 1092nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 35 | 0 | $320M | 22nd of 100 | 231st of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 30 | 1 | $2.0M | 14th of 100 | 218th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 0 | $1.5M | 17th of 100 | 533rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 19 | 0 | $241K | 100th of 100 | 2765th of 3,077 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 16 | 17 | – | 4th of 100 | 76th of 2,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 54th of 100 | 1938th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 1 | $53K | 87th of 100 | 2304th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 59th of 100 | 1908th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $3.1M | 3rd of 100 | 530th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Brunswick County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.