New Hanover County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates New Hanover County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.1 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, winter weather. Its storm record holds 813 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 | 99.1 | $181M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.7 | $3.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.1 | $999K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.7 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.4 | $8.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 89.2 | $6.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $46M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.6 | $2.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.2 | $2.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 54.6 | $753K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.0 | $675K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.0 | $2.2M |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.1 | $91K |
| Drought | Very Low | 19.2 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.0 | $126 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 189 | 0 | $9.4M | 1st of 100 | 34th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 181 | 0 | $3.1M | 1st of 100 | 51st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 112 | 0 | $24K | 1st of 100 | 26th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 80 | 20 | – | 1st of 100 | 4th of 2,080 |
| Heavy rain | 46 | 0 | $2.5M | 1st of 100 | 19th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 44 | 1 | $1.7B | 1st of 100 | 2nd of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 43 | 5 | $1.8M | 1st of 100 | 4th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 0 | $6.0M | 1st of 100 | 14th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 0 | $85K | 15th of 100 | 403rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 22 | 0 | – | 80th of 100 | 1913th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 36th of 100 | 1014th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 2nd of 100 | 853rd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 44th of 100 | 1734th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $3K | 1st of 100 | 269th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full New Hanover County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.