Onslow County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Onslow County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.0 of 100, higher than 94% 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 668 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 | 99.0 | $171M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.4 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.4 | $1.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $3.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | $6.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $2.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.6 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $23M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | $394K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 85.9 | $968K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.7 | $834K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 60.4 | $1.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 44.4 | $266K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.6 | $48K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 38.6 | $742 |
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 | 231 | 0 | $477K | 73rd of 100 | 1421st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 193 | 0 | – | 50th of 100 | 1166th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $12M | 53rd of 100 | 1175th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 3 | $28M | 8th of 100 | 492nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 35 | 3 | $266K | 95th of 100 | 2378th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 31 | 4 | $1.3B | 18th of 100 | 184th of 1,849 |
| Drought | 28 | 0 | – | 46th of 100 | 1605th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 14 | 0 | – | 24th of 100 | 1350th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $50K | 82nd of 100 | 2157th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 6 | 2 | $3.8M | 62nd of 100 | 875th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 89th of 100 | 2594th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 85th of 100 | 1733rd of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | – | 9th of 100 | 214th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Onslow County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.