Pitt County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pitt County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.8 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, hurricane, tornado. Its storm record holds 647 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 | Very High | 98.4 | $1.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.3 | $30M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.3 | $11M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.7 | $31M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $747K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77.5 | $754K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 77.0 | $325K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 75.8 | $709K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | $1000K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.6 | $866K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.2 | $1.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 48.0 | $67K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 41.8 | $29K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 36.0 | $475 |
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 | 254 | 1 | $1.3M | 60th of 100 | 1037th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 175 | 0 | $1.8M | 35th of 100 | 839th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 78 | 1 | $697K | 60th of 100 | 1314th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 0 | $141K | 88th of 100 | 2166th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 9 | $97M | 17th of 100 | 769th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 19 | 9 | $594M | 25th of 100 | 241st of 1,849 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | – | 44th of 100 | 1496th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | $163K | 62nd of 100 | 1218th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $11K | 84th of 100 | 2209th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 3 | – | 37th of 100 | 1530th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $233K | 72nd of 100 | 1301st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 83rd of 100 | 2535th 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 Pitt County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.