Columbus County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Columbus County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.9 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hurricane, lightning. Its storm record holds 630 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.4 | $4.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.7 | $22M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.8 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.2 | $1.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.8 | $167K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $2.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $290K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.4 | $1.4M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.7 | $213K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.6 | $7.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.9 | $1.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 47.3 | $81K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 44.7 | $141K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 19.4 | $122 |
| Landslide | Very Low | 14.5 | $38 |
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 | 273 | 0 | $12M | 83rd of 100 | 1652nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 179 | 0 | $10M | 55th of 100 | 1248th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 59 | 1 | $75M | 90th of 100 | 1797th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 34 | 8 | $20M | 41st of 100 | 1439th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 18 | 0 | $9.4M | 99th of 100 | 2698th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 16 | 2 | $696K | 38th of 100 | 435th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 55th of 100 | 1939th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 1 | $116M | 60th of 100 | 493rd of 1,849 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 1 | $106M | 86th of 100 | 2300th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | $261K | 59th of 100 | 1184th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 55th of 100 | 1848th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 95th of 100 | 2644th of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 10th of 100 | 219th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Columbus County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.