Sampson County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sampson County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.2 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hurricane, winter weather. Its storm record holds 622 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.8 | $3.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.5 | $35M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.0 | $430K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 | $945K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.2 | $782K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $2.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 79.4 | $248K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.1 | $930K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 75.8 | $394K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 69.1 | $1.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.4 | $638K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.6 | $8.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.5 | $108K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.9 | $195 |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 318 | 0 | $6.1M | 67th of 100 | 1281st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 137 | 0 | $3.9M | 66th of 100 | 1457th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 58 | 1 | $87M | 82nd of 100 | 1697th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 39 | 1 | – | 93rd of 100 | 2366th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 14 | $168M | 61st of 100 | 1925th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 1 | $22M | 78th of 100 | 1953rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 2 | $24M | 56th of 100 | 439th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 51st of 100 | 1773rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 71st of 100 | 1302nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $832K | 71st of 100 | 1184th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 96th of 100 | 2645th 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 Sampson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.