Pender County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pender County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.9 of 100, higher than 86% 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 548 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 | Relatively High | 97.2 | $43M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.9 | $359K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.7 | $1.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $2.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | $284K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 70.9 | $2.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 53.0 | $625K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 86.9 | $897K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $13M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 62.9 | $685K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 40.2 | $688K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 37.8 | $56K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 55.6 | $385K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.5 | $120K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 27.1 | $244 |
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 | 152 | 0 | $4.3M | 94th of 100 | 2047th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 126 | 0 | $153K | 78th of 100 | 1731st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 93 | 1 | $7.7M | 58th of 100 | 1291st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 47 | 3 | $8.5M | 24th of 100 | 1019th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 31 | 2 | $890M | 29th of 100 | 264th of 1,849 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 2 | $2.4M | 98th of 100 | 2647th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 14 | 2 | $640K | 39th of 100 | 457th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 57th of 100 | 1991st of 3,063 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 9 | 5 | – | 5th of 100 | 106th of 2,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $17K | 90th of 100 | 2391st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $151K | 50th of 100 | 1011th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 60th of 100 | 1916th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 0 | $59K | 2nd of 100 | 392nd of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 66th of 100 | 2334th 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 Pender County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.