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Natural hazard risk in Lee County, North Carolina

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 67.4 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$20.2 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1968
21[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$1.1 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
5[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural hazard risk for Lee County, North Carolina as Relatively Low, with a score of 67.4 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are hurricane, tornado and ice storm[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's scores compare each county with all other US counties[7]. FEMA lists $20.2 million in expected annual loss from all 18 natural hazards in Lee County[1]. That is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. By FEMA's estimates, the largest parts of that loss come from inland flooding, tornado and hurricane, in that order[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively High, with a score of 73.2[9]. FEMA rates community resilience Relatively Low, with a score of 31.6[10]. FEMA says the index is not meant to predict next year's damage[7].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
HurricaneRelatively Moderate$2.7 million[11]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$3.2 million[12]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$346,000[13]
LightningRelatively Moderate$513,000[14]
Heat WaveRelatively Low$765,000[15]
Inland FloodingRelatively Low$10.7 million[16]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$606,000[17]
HailRelatively Low$293,000[18]
WildfireVery Low$46,000[19]
DroughtRelatively Low$137,000[20]
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$51,000[21]
Strong WindRelatively Low$314,000[22]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$494,000[23]
LandslideVery Low$173[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High73.2[9]
Community resilienceRelatively Low31.6[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 71.6[16]. OpenFEMA lists 126 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 28.6% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data lists 63 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $1.1 million in total[3]. For a specific address, check FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[16] Relatively Low, $10.7 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 126 of 24,097 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 248, of which 71 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 63 filed, $1.1 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Lee County since 1968[2]. Hurricanes account for 11 of them[2]. The most recent in the OpenFEMA list was a Severe Winter Storm declaration on 2026-01-24[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 5 tornadoes touching Lee County from 1950 to 2024[4]. The most recent was on 2015-06-27[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Lee County, since 1968
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 11
Tropical Storm[2] 3
Severe Ice Storm[2] 2
Severe Storm[2] 2
Drought[2] 1
Winter Storm[2] 1
Snowstorm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3637-NC[28] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-24
DR-4827-NC[28] Tropical Storm Helene 2024-09-28
EM-3617-NC[28] Hurricane Helene 2024-09-26
EM-3608-NC[28] Tropical Storm Debby 2024-08-06
EM-3586-NC[28] Hurricane Ian 2022-10-01

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Hurricanes

Before

  • Know your hurricane risk, including rain, wind and tornadoes far inland from landfall.
  • Learn your evacuation zone and routes, and practice them with your household and pets.
  • Keep insurance policies and ID current, with password-protected digital copies.
  • Clear drains and gutters, bring in outdoor furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
  • Keep your phone charged, buy backup chargers and gather supplies, including medication and pet supplies.

During

  • If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials order an evacuation, leave right away.
  • For high winds, take shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
  • If you are trapped by flooding, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, hurricanes

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Questions people ask

Is Lee County, NC at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively Low compared with other US counties, and it is the largest part of expected annual loss in the county[16][8]. FEMA says a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low[7].
Does Lee County, NC get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 5 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[12].
What is the earthquake risk in Lee County, NC?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with an expected annual loss of $606,000 a year[17].
How many federal disasters have been declared for Lee County, NC?
OpenFEMA lists 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1968[2].
How do I check the flood zone for an address in Lee County?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[27]. County ratings do not tell you the flood zone of one address[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Lee County is $20.2 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 60.8). Of this, buildings account for $15.5 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $4.1 million... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Lee County since 1968 (10 major disaster, 11 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 11, tropical storm 3, severe ice storm 2, severe storm 2, drought 1, winter storm 1, snowstorm 1.... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 63 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Lee County, 50 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $1.1 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years with... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 5 recorded tornadoes touched Lee County. The strongest were rated EF3 (most recent of them on 2011-04-16). 1 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2015-06-27. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Lee County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 67.4 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Lee County are hurricane (84.7, Relatively Moderate), tornado (81.4, Relatively Moderate), ice storm (81.3, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Lee County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($10.7 million a year), tornado ($3.2 million a year), hurricane ($2.7 million a year), out of $20.2 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Lee County is Relatively High (score 73.2). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Lee County is Relatively Low (score 31.6). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 84.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.16 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years... FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.12 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $346,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.84 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 78.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $513,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 51.75 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 72.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $765,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 6.58 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 71.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $10.7 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.82 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 70.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $606,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0013 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 60.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $293,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 4.18 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Lee County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 54.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $46,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0005 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 53.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $137,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 15.02 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 51.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $51,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 5.16 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 39.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $314,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.38 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Lee County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 39.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $494,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.47 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Lee County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 26.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $173 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Lee County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 126 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Lee County, out of 24,097 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.5%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 248 residential structures and 71 contracts, a rate of... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.