Orange County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Orange County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 79.1 of 100, higher than 79% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 584 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 | 86.2 | $373K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.3 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.5 | $33M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $2.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $3.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $5.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.5 | $906K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.5 | $331K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 64.9 | $744K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 54.5 | $249K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.1 | $691K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 41.7 | $911 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.4 | $16K |
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 | 284 | 2 | $1.0M | 11th of 100 | 203rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 84 | 0 | $4K | 31st of 100 | 777th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 1 | $84M | 18th of 100 | 554th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 0 | $4.7M | 33rd of 100 | 730th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 0 | $1.6M | 37th of 100 | 923rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 2 | $3.6M | 45th of 100 | 1542nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 10 | 2 | $3.5M | 21st of 100 | 278th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 12th of 100 | 1162nd of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $1.3M | 47th of 100 | 383rd of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 56th of 100 | 1064th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 61st of 100 | 2278th 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 Orange County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.