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North Carolina hurricane risk

100 counties scored 5 rated Very High

Brunswick County has the highest hurricane risk in North Carolina, scoring 99.1 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Brunswick County 99.1 Very High 0
2 New Hanover County 99.1 Very High 0
3 Onslow County 99 Very High 0
4 Carteret County 98.7 Very High 0
5 Craven County 98.6 Very High 0
6 Dare County 97.7 Relatively High 0
7 Beaufort County 97.5 Relatively High 0
8 Duplin County 97.5 Relatively High 0
9 Sampson County 97.5 Relatively High 0
10 Pender County 97.2 Relatively High 0
11 Columbus County 96.7 Relatively High 0
12 Robeson County 96.5 Relatively High 0
13 Wayne County 96.5 Relatively High 0
14 Bladen County 96.4 Relatively High 0
15 Pitt County 96.3 Relatively High 0
16 Pamlico County 95.7 Relatively High 0
17 Lenoir County 94.9 Relatively High 0
18 Hyde County 94.6 Relatively High 0
19 Jones County 94.5 Relatively High 0
20 Cumberland County 94 Relatively High 1
21 Washington County 93.8 Relatively High 0
22 Hertford County 93.6 Relatively High 0
23 Bertie County 93.3 Relatively High 0
24 Greene County 92.9 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Martin County 92.4 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Tyrrell County 92.1 Relatively Moderate 0
27 Pasquotank County 91.3 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Wilson County 90.4 Relatively Moderate 0
29 Guilford County 90.3 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Wake County 89.9 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Nash County 89.7 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Perquimans County 89.7 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Chowan County 89.5 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Durham County 89.4 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Harnett County 88.9 Relatively Moderate 0
36 Edgecombe County 88.6 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Halifax County 88.5 Relatively Moderate 0
38 Moore County 88.3 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Scotland County 87 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Forsyth County 86.5 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Johnston County 86.3 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Richmond County 86 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Granville County 85.4 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Warren County 84.9 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Lee County 84.8 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Northampton County 84.6 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Randolph County 84.3 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Davidson County 84.2 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Mecklenburg County 84.2 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Hoke County 84 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Montgomery County 83.6 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Chatham County 83.4 Relatively Moderate 0
53 Anson County 82.9 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Alamance County 81.9 Relatively Moderate 0
55 Orange County 81.9 Relatively Moderate 0
56 Union County 81.4 Relatively Low 0
57 Currituck County 80.7 Relatively Low 0
58 Vance County 79.1 Relatively Low 0
59 Rockingham County 78.7 Relatively Low 0
60 Gates County 77.9 Relatively Low 1
61 Stanly County 77.6 Relatively Low 0
62 Catawba County 76.9 Relatively Low 0
63 Wilkes County 75.4 Relatively Low 0
64 Franklin County 74.6 Relatively Low 0
65 Cabarrus County 73.9 Relatively Low 0
66 Cleveland County 73.7 Relatively Low 0
67 Caswell County 73.6 Relatively Low 0
68 Person County 72.5 Relatively Low 0
69 Camden County 72.4 Relatively Low 0
70 Rowan County 72.4 Relatively Low 0
71 Surry County 71.5 Relatively Low 0
72 Henderson County 70.4 Relatively Low 0
73 Iredell County 70.3 Relatively Low 0
74 Gaston County 70.2 Relatively Low 0
75 Davie County 70 Relatively Low 0
76 Stokes County 68.7 Relatively Low 0
77 Buncombe County 68.6 Relatively Low 0
78 Yadkin County 68.2 Relatively Low 0
79 Alexander County 67.8 Relatively Low 0
80 Burke County 67.4 Relatively Low 0
81 Rutherford County 66.7 Relatively Low 0
82 Jackson County 66.6 Relatively Low 0
83 Macon County 66.3 Relatively Low 0
84 Caldwell County 66 Relatively Low 0
85 Lincoln County 65.5 Relatively Low 0
86 Ashe County 63.5 Relatively Low 0
87 Watauga County 61.9 Relatively Low 0
88 Avery County 61.5 Relatively Low 0
89 McDowell County 60.9 Relatively Low 0
90 Polk County 60.9 Relatively Low 0
91 Transylvania County 59.9 Relatively Low 0
92 Alleghany County 59.1 Relatively Low 0
93 Cherokee County 58.4 Very Low 0
94 Haywood County 57.9 Very Low 0
95 Yancey County 54.9 Very Low 0
96 Swain County 54.2 Very Low 0
97 Mitchell County 52.6 Very Low 0
98 Clay County 47.9 Very Low 0
99 Graham County 42.6 Very Low 0
100 Madison County 41.6 Very Low 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.

Hurricane risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in North Carolina:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest hurricane risk county in North Carolina?

Brunswick County, NC has the highest hurricane risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.1 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in North Carolina are rated Very High for hurricane risk?

5 of 100 scored North Carolina counties are rated "Very High" for hurricane risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes hurricane risk in North Carolina?

Hurricane risk covers expected annual losses from tropical cyclone winds — storm surge is captured separately under coastal flooding. High scores concentrate along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Seaboard from Texas through New England, with Florida's peninsula and barrier islands typically leading national rankings. The NRI score also accounts for population exposure and community resilience.