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Natural hazard risk in Wayne County, North Carolina

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Moderate (score 90.3 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$66.3 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1968
26[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$47.0 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
30[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Wayne County, North Carolina as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are winter weather, hurricane and tornado[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 National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Risk Index score of 90.3 out of 100[5]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $66.3 million a year[1]. By FEMA's estimates, the largest parts of that loss come from inland flooding, hurricane and tornado, in that order[7]. Expected Annual Loss is an estimate of average yearly loss, and FEMA says the index does not predict next year's damage[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively High, with a score of 72.9[9]. FEMA rates community resilience Relatively Low, with a score of 37.5[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Winter WeatherVery High$1.2 million[11]
HurricaneRelatively High$24.4 million[12]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$5.4 million[13]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$27.7 million[14]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.0 million[15]
HailRelatively Moderate$1.1 million[16]
LightningRelatively High$659,000[17]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$349,000[18]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$872,000[19]
DroughtRelatively Moderate$514,000[20]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$796,000[21]
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$1.4 million[22]
WildfireVery Low$49,000[23]
LandslideVery Low$264[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 High72.9[9]
Community resilienceRelatively Low37.5[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate in Wayne County, with a score of 89.2[14]. OpenFEMA data as of 2026-08-03 show 848 residential flood insurance contracts in force, a penetration rate of 1.3%[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 15.6% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA records 1,193 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $47.0 million in total[3]. To learn the flood zone for an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[14] Relatively Moderate, $27.7 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 848 of 66,351 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 2,676, of which 418 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1,193 filed, $47.0 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 26 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wayne County since 1968[2]. Hurricanes account for 17 of them[2]. The most recent listed is a Severe Winter Storm declared 2026-01-24[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 30 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the most recent was on 2019-09-05[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wayne County, since 1968
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 17
Severe Ice Storm[2] 2
Severe Storm[2] 2
Tropical Storm[2] 2
Winter Storm[2] 1
Tornado[2] 1
Drought[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3637-NC[28] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-24
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
EM-3534-NC[28] Hurricane Isaias 2020-08-02

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.

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Wayne County, NC at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate in Wayne County compared with other US counties[14]. FEMA estimates inland flooding makes up the largest share of expected annual loss, at $27.7 million a year[7].
Does Wayne County, NC get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 30 tornadoes touching Wayne County from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[13].
Is Wayne County, NC at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane risk Relatively High compared with other US counties[12]. OpenFEMA lists 17 hurricane declarations that include the county since 1968[2].
How many disasters have been declared in Wayne County, NC?
OpenFEMA lists 26 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wayne County since 1968[2].
How do I check the flood zone for a home in Wayne County, NC?
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 Wayne County is $66.3 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Moderate, score 87.2). Of this, buildings account for $46.3 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $12.3... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 26 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Wayne County since 1968 (13 major disaster, 13 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 17, severe ice storm 2, severe storm 2, tropical storm 2, winter storm 1, tornado 1, drought 1.... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1,193 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Wayne County, 1,002 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $47.0 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 30 recorded tornadoes touched Wayne County. The strongest were rated F4 (most recent of them on 1984-03-28). 3 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2019-09-05. 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 Wayne County is Relatively Moderate, with a Risk Index score of 90.3 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 Wayne County are winter weather (98.5, Very High), hurricane (96.5, Relatively High), tornado (89.8, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Wayne County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($27.7 million a year), hurricane ($24.4 million a year), tornado ($5.4 million a year), out of $66.3 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. 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
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Wayne County is Relatively High (score 72.9). 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 Wayne County is Relatively Low (score 37.5). 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), winter weather in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.2 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 5 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $24.4 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.26 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for... FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 89.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.39 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 89.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $27.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.32 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 8.58 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 4.14 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 83.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $659,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 51.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $349,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.87 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 75.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $872,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.3 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 74.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $514,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 7.92 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), earthquake in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 73.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $796,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0012 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 66.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.47 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 55.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $49,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0002 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Wayne County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 31.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $264 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 Wayne 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): 848 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Wayne County, out of 66,351 residential structures, a penetration rate of 1.3%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 2,676 residential structures and 418 contracts, a rate... 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.