Lincoln County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lincoln County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.8 of 100, higher than 73% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 537 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 92.3 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $23M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | $3.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | $637K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | $977K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.5 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65.5 | $370K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 55.6 | $324K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.1 | $95K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 44.0 | $756K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 39.6 | $223K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 39.1 | $44K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.8 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 37.8 | $22K |
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 | 177 | 2 | $825K | 10th of 100 | 171st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 131 | 0 | $1.9M | 4th of 100 | 71st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 82 | 0 | $15M | 24th of 100 | 446th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | – | 7th of 100 | 162nd of 3,063 |
| Floods | 31 | 0 | $3.2M | 32nd of 100 | 863rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 4 | $64M | 6th of 100 | 249th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $1.0M | 31st of 100 | 743rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $1.6M | 8th of 100 | 146th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $1.4M | 20th of 100 | 760th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $29K | 15th of 100 | 455th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $952K | 50th of 100 | 403rd of 1,849 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 34th of 100 | 1468th 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 Lincoln County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.