Craven County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Craven County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.6 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, lightning. Its storm record holds 683 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 | 98.6 | $92M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 97.7 | $987K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.5 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.4 | $4.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 | $1.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.0 | $14M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.3 | $919K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.9 | $203K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.3 | $492K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 54.2 | $211K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.2 | $865K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.7 | $128K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 50.0 | $218K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.1 | $344K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 32.8 | $320 |
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 | 283 | 0 | $451K | 62nd of 100 | 1123rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 191 | 0 | $1.1M | 44th of 100 | 1035th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 0 | $35M | 15th of 100 | 733rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 1 | $1.5M | 73rd of 100 | 1489th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 0 | – | 90th of 100 | 2292nd of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 36 | 3 | $173M | 14th of 100 | 123rd of 1,849 |
| Drought | 18 | 0 | – | 47th of 100 | 1652nd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 13 | 0 | – | 27th of 100 | 1388th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 0 | $7K | 83rd of 100 | 2186th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 2 | $643 | 64th of 100 | 963rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 67th of 100 | 1265th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 87th of 100 | 2567th 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 Craven County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.