Dare County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dare County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.6 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, winter weather. Its storm record holds 459 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 High | 97.7 | $65M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.7 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.5 | $365K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.8 | $4.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 82.7 | $546K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 51.2 | $392K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 50.3 | $6.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.0 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.2 | $349K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.8 | $44K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 24.5 | $23K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 21.8 | $256K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 20.7 | $124 |
| Drought | Very Low | 14.3 | $378 |
| Hail | Very Low | 13.8 | $44K |
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 | 173 | 0 | $1.2M | 52nd of 100 | 884th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 54 | 0 | – | 69th of 100 | 1495th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 45 | 0 | – | 47th of 100 | 1106th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 41 | 0 | $35M | 3rd of 100 | 35th of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 1 | $13M | 3rd of 100 | 72nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 26 | 0 | – | 87th of 100 | 2155th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 24 | 0 | – | 38th of 100 | 937th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | – | 49th of 100 | 1699th of 3,063 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 10 | 9 | – | 3rd of 100 | 66th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 9 | 3 | $566K | 30th of 100 | 348th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 11th of 100 | 1139th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 56th of 100 | 2256th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 86th of 100 | 1737th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Dare County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.