Lenoir County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lenoir County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.6 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, hurricane. Its storm record holds 460 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.5 | $500K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.9 | $15M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $3.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.1 | $13M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $767K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.2 | $360K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 68.6 | $326K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.9 | $119K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 76.1 | $820K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.5 | $679K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 72.2 | $415K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.4 | $596K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 33.7 | $12K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 28.4 | $2K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 18.3 | $64 |
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 | 179 | 0 | $1.1M | 40th of 100 | 600th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 111 | 0 | $943K | 15th of 100 | 414th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 51 | 5 | $62M | 36th of 100 | 897th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 36 | 1 | $75K | 67th of 100 | 1679th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 0 | $167M | 9th of 100 | 516th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 22 | 3 | $681M | 13th of 100 | 109th of 1,849 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | – | 40th of 100 | 1182nd of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $16K | 80th of 100 | 2055th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 49th of 100 | 1663rd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 62nd of 100 | 2281st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 76th of 100 | 1339th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $50K | 83rd of 100 | 1742nd 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 Lenoir County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.