Chowan County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chowan County's overall risk Very Low (score 34.3 of 100, higher than 34% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 225 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 Moderate | 89.5 | $5.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 64.9 | $90K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.0 | $587K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 52.0 | $132K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.2 | $114K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 34.0 | $283K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.1 | $99K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 27.1 | $353K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 32.0 | $77K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26.0 | $10K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 23.3 | $18K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 18.6 | $168K |
| Hail | Very Low | 17.3 | $51K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 13.9 | $1.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 6.9 | $12 |
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 | 66 | 1 | $952K | 44th of 100 | 686th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 41 | 0 | $1K | 25th of 100 | 530th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 33 | 0 | $76K | 41st of 100 | 975th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 0 | $141K | 3rd of 100 | 41st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 1 | $32M | 2nd of 100 | 18th of 1,849 |
| Floods | 14 | 0 | $615K | 43rd of 100 | 1027th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 1 | $1.9M | 5th of 100 | 134th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 1 | – | 1st of 100 | 699th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $130K | 54th of 100 | 1239th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 27th of 100 | 1016th 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 Chowan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.