SkyGround

Natural hazard risk & disaster history for every US county

All counties › Hazards › Lightning

North Carolina lightning risk

100 counties scored 2 rated Very High

New Hanover County has the highest lightning risk in North Carolina, scoring 97.7 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA has recorded 109 lightning events across North Carolina over the past decade.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 New Hanover County 97.7 Very High 8
2 Buncombe County 96.6 Very High 0
3 Mecklenburg County 94.9 Relatively High 1
4 Columbus County 94.8 Relatively High 2
5 Dare County 94.7 Relatively High 2
6 Guilford County 94.2 Relatively High 0
7 Jackson County 94.2 Relatively High 0
8 Cumberland County 93.1 Relatively High 0
9 Craven County 92.5 Relatively High 0
10 Brunswick County 92.4 Relatively High 6
11 Onslow County 92.4 Relatively High 2
12 Wake County 91.7 Relatively High 8
13 Henderson County 90.9 Relatively High 3
14 Gaston County 90.8 Relatively High 0
15 Durham County 90.4 Relatively High 2
16 Robeson County 89.3 Relatively High 0
17 Moore County 88.1 Relatively High 4
18 Burke County 86.9 Relatively High 2
19 Forsyth County 86.8 Relatively High 1
20 Pender County 85.7 Relatively High 4
21 Catawba County 85.3 Relatively High 1
22 Orange County 85.3 Relatively High 3
23 Johnston County 85.1 Relatively High 7
24 Union County 84.7 Relatively High 0
25 Mitchell County 83.8 Relatively High 0
26 Wayne County 83.6 Relatively High 0
27 Cabarrus County 82.8 Relatively High 1
28 Yancey County 82.6 Relatively High 1
29 Alamance County 82.3 Relatively High 0
30 Cleveland County 82 Relatively High 1
31 Pitt County 81.2 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Carteret County 79.6 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Rutherford County 78.9 Relatively Moderate 1
34 Haywood County 78.7 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Lee County 78.5 Relatively Moderate 1
36 Harnett County 78.3 Relatively Moderate 1
37 Lincoln County 77.2 Relatively Moderate 1
38 Iredell County 76.4 Relatively Moderate 1
39 Sampson County 75.8 Relatively Moderate 2
40 Macon County 75.2 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Pamlico County 74.5 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Rockingham County 74.5 Relatively Moderate 3
43 Avery County 72.6 Relatively Moderate 2
44 Beaufort County 72.4 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Rowan County 72.4 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Lenoir County 72.2 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Caldwell County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Duplin County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Franklin County 70.3 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Nash County 70.1 Relatively Moderate 2
51 Madison County 69.9 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Wilkes County 69.3 Relatively Moderate 7
53 Randolph County 69.2 Relatively Moderate 1
54 Davidson County 69.1 Relatively Moderate 1
55 McDowell County 68.4 Relatively Moderate 2
56 Transylvania County 67.8 Relatively Moderate 1
57 Polk County 67.3 Relatively Moderate 1
58 Pasquotank County 64.2 Relatively Moderate 1
59 Watauga County 63.3 Relatively Moderate 0
60 Cherokee County 62.4 Relatively Moderate 1
61 Wilson County 62.1 Relatively Moderate 0
62 Bladen County 61.2 Relatively Moderate 1
63 Chatham County 58.6 Relatively Moderate 0
64 Currituck County 58.4 Relatively Moderate 2
65 Scotland County 57.7 Relatively Moderate 0
66 Richmond County 57 Relatively Moderate 0
67 Alexander County 56.6 Relatively Low 1
68 Hoke County 55.9 Relatively Low 1
69 Halifax County 55.5 Relatively Low 0
70 Vance County 54.2 Relatively Low 0
71 Surry County 54.1 Relatively Low 3
72 Ashe County 53.5 Relatively Low 0
73 Edgecombe County 53.4 Relatively Low 0
74 Granville County 52.5 Relatively Low 0
75 Stanly County 49.6 Relatively Low 0
76 Clay County 46.9 Relatively Low 0
77 Person County 44.7 Relatively Low 0
78 Swain County 43.6 Relatively Low 1
79 Greene County 42.4 Relatively Low 0
80 Washington County 42.1 Relatively Low 0
81 Bertie County 41.5 Relatively Low 0
82 Anson County 41 Relatively Low 0
83 Hertford County 40.4 Relatively Low 1
84 Alleghany County 39.1 Relatively Low 3
85 Montgomery County 38.3 Relatively Low 0
86 Jones County 35.6 Relatively Low 0
87 Perquimans County 35.1 Relatively Low 1
88 Martin County 34.7 Relatively Low 0
89 Hyde County 33.5 Relatively Low 0
90 Stokes County 33.5 Relatively Low 2
91 Davie County 33.3 Relatively Low 1
92 Caswell County 32.5 Relatively Low 0
93 Warren County 32.4 Relatively Low 0
94 Yadkin County 32.2 Relatively Low 2
95 Chowan County 32.1 Relatively Low 0
96 Northampton County 29 Relatively Low 0
97 Gates County 28.9 Relatively Low 0
98 Graham County 27.1 Relatively Low 0
99 Tyrrell County 26.1 Relatively Low 0
100 Camden County 16.9 Very Low 2

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.

Lightning risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in North Carolina:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest lightning risk county in North Carolina?

New Hanover County, NC has the highest lightning risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.7 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

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

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

What causes lightning risk in North Carolina?

Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.