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North Carolina drought risk

100 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Halifax County has the highest drought risk in North Carolina, scoring 89.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Halifax County 89.5 Relatively Moderate 0
2 Edgecombe County 88.4 Relatively Moderate 0
3 Northampton County 88.3 Relatively Moderate 0
4 Wilson County 88.3 Relatively Moderate 0
5 Sampson County 88.2 Relatively Moderate 0
6 Nash County 88.1 Relatively Moderate 0
7 Johnston County 84.4 Relatively Moderate 0
8 Alleghany County 83.1 Relatively Moderate 0
9 Hertford County 82.8 Relatively Moderate 0
10 Warren County 82.5 Relatively Moderate 0
11 Henderson County 80.5 Relatively Moderate 0
12 Martin County 80 Relatively Moderate 0
13 Bertie County 79.5 Relatively Moderate 0
14 Franklin County 78.4 Relatively Moderate 0
15 Greene County 76.9 Relatively Moderate 0
16 Watauga County 76.2 Relatively Moderate 0
17 Pitt County 75.8 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Granville County 74.8 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Stokes County 74.8 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Wayne County 74.2 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Person County 74 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Rowan County 71.4 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Ashe County 71.3 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Caswell County 71.3 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Vance County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Union County 69.4 Relatively Moderate 0
27 Yadkin County 69.3 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Lenoir County 68.6 Relatively Moderate 0
29 Guilford County 67.7 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Rockingham County 66.3 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Surry County 66 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Duplin County 65.4 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Buncombe County 65.2 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Robeson County 64.8 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Harnett County 64.6 Relatively Moderate 0
36 McDowell County 64.1 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Wilkes County 63.8 Relatively Low 0
38 Randolph County 62.9 Relatively Low 0
39 Burke County 62 Relatively Low 0
40 Catawba County 61 Relatively Low 0
41 Cleveland County 59.3 Relatively Low 0
42 Davidson County 58.1 Relatively Low 0
43 Gates County 56.6 Relatively Low 0
44 Davie County 56.1 Relatively Low 0
45 Stanly County 56.1 Relatively Low 0
46 Jackson County 55 Relatively Low 0
47 Orange County 54.5 Relatively Low 0
48 Forsyth County 53.6 Relatively Low 0
49 Lee County 53.1 Relatively Low 0
50 Alexander County 52.8 Relatively Low 0
51 Iredell County 52.4 Relatively Low 0
52 Hyde County 52 Relatively Low 0
53 Bladen County 51.7 Relatively Low 0
54 Wake County 51.1 Relatively Low 0
55 Yancey County 51 Relatively Low 0
56 Anson County 50.9 Relatively Low 0
57 Caldwell County 50.9 Relatively Low 0
58 Craven County 50.7 Relatively Low 0
59 Moore County 49.3 Relatively Low 0
60 Chowan County 49.2 Relatively Low 0
61 Alamance County 48.9 Relatively Low 0
62 Beaufort County 48.2 Relatively Low 0
63 Cabarrus County 48.2 Relatively Low 0
64 Jones County 48.1 Relatively Low 0
65 Scotland County 47.5 Relatively Low 0
66 Columbus County 47.3 Relatively Low 0
67 Polk County 47 Relatively Low 0
68 Transylvania County 46.6 Relatively Low 0
69 Montgomery County 45.5 Relatively Low 0
70 Cumberland County 45.3 Relatively Low 0
71 Perquimans County 45.1 Relatively Low 0
72 Chatham County 45 Relatively Low 0
73 Haywood County 44.8 Relatively Low 0
74 Lincoln County 44.1 Relatively Low 0
75 Hoke County 44 Relatively Low 0
76 Durham County 42.8 Relatively Low 0
77 Rutherford County 42.7 Relatively Low 0
78 Richmond County 41.4 Relatively Low 0
79 Clay County 40.1 Relatively Low 0
80 Gaston County 38.5 Relatively Low 0
81 Pender County 37.8 Relatively Low 0
82 Washington County 36.9 Relatively Low 0
83 Cherokee County 36.2 Relatively Low 0
84 Onslow County 34.6 Relatively Low 0
85 Camden County 32.9 Relatively Low 0
86 Macon County 32.9 Relatively Low 0
87 Pasquotank County 29.9 Very Low 0
88 Swain County 29.7 Very Low 0
89 Brunswick County 28.8 Very Low 0
90 Mecklenburg County 28.6 Very Low 0
91 Tyrrell County 28.3 Very Low 0
92 Carteret County 26.5 Very Low 0
93 New Hanover County 19.2 Very Low 0
94 Pamlico County 18.5 Very Low 0
95 Currituck County 17.1 Very Low 0
96 Madison County 15.2 Very Low 0
97 Dare County 14.3 Very Low 0
98 Avery County 0 No Rating 0
99 Graham County 0 No Rating 0
100 Mitchell County 0 No Rating 0

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Drought risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in North Carolina:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest drought risk county in North Carolina?

Halifax County, NC has the highest drought risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 89.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").

What causes drought risk in North Carolina?

Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.