Carteret County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Carteret County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.5 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, winter weather, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 625 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 | 98.7 | $109M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.6 | $585K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 88.2 | $4.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 79.6 | $655K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 74.3 | $257K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 88.6 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.0 | $879K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.2 | $9.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.1 | $483K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 45.4 | $989K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 37.1 | $540K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 42.4 | $162K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 28.7 | $260 |
| Drought | Very Low | 26.5 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.5 | $79K |
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 | 209 | 0 | $2.6M | 65th of 100 | 1209th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 88 | 0 | – | 68th of 100 | 1479th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 80 | 0 | $30M | 2nd of 100 | 15th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $22K | 30th of 100 | 807th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 46 | 0 | $829M | 8th of 100 | 48th of 1,849 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 0 | $633 | 27th of 100 | 693rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 4 | $399K | 89th of 100 | 2268th of 3,077 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 23 | 24 | – | 2nd of 100 | 44th of 2,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 50th of 100 | 1783rd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 10 | 0 | – | 23rd of 100 | 1348th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | $45K | 53rd of 100 | 1028th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $7K | 76th of 100 | 1428th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 72nd of 100 | 2415th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Carteret County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.