Wayne County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wayne County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.4 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, hurricane, lightning. Its storm record holds 657 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 | 98.5 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.5 | $24M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.6 | $659K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $5.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.3 | $28M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.8 | $2.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 87.8 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.4 | $349K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 75.8 | $872K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 74.2 | $514K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.5 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.8 | $796K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.4 | $49K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 31.5 | $264 |
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 | 297 | 1 | $7.0M | 35th of 100 | 517th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 124 | 0 | $5.2M | 37th of 100 | 862nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 3 | $41K | 62nd of 100 | 1582nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 56 | 5 | $239M | 41st of 100 | 994th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 29 | 1 | $4.1M | 62nd of 100 | 1445th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 4 | $151M | 18th of 100 | 869th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 2 | $100M | 38th of 100 | 322nd of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | – | 37th of 100 | 818th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $663K | 33rd of 100 | 371st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 29th of 100 | 1421st of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 77th of 100 | 2450th 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 Wayne County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.