Burke County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Burke County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 70.2 of 100, higher than 70% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 979 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.8 | $809K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.9 | $805K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.3 | $15M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | $2.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.7 | $12K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.3 | $738K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67.4 | $370K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 65.3 | $587K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $253K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $315K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 55.9 | $937K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.7 | $422K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.3 | $31K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 47.0 | $31K |
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 | 272 | 0 | $1.0M | 16th of 100 | 249th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 242 | 0 | $15M | 18th of 100 | 208th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 211 | 0 | $1K | 8th of 100 | 146th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 84 | 0 | $53M | 15th of 100 | 424th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 54 | 0 | – | 22nd of 100 | 568th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 0 | $887K | 24th of 100 | 622nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 0 | $2.8M | 11th of 100 | 552nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 19 | 0 | $1.6M | 10th of 100 | 177th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $21M | 79th of 100 | 2191st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $3.8M | 85th of 100 | 770th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $588 | 64th of 100 | 1234th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | – | 72nd of 100 | 2199th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 20th of 100 | 266th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Burke County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.