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North Carolina strong wind risk

100 counties scored 2 rated Very High

Columbus County has the highest strong wind risk in North Carolina, scoring 98.4 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Columbus County 98.4 Very High 0
2 Robeson County 98 Very High 0
3 Sampson County 97.8 Relatively High 0
4 Rutherford County 97.3 Relatively High 0
5 Bladen County 96.7 Relatively High 0
6 Edgecombe County 96.3 Relatively High 0
7 Gaston County 95.2 Relatively High 0
8 Buncombe County 92.6 Relatively High 0
9 Mecklenburg County 91.7 Relatively High 0
10 Henderson County 91.3 Relatively High 0
11 Duplin County 91.2 Relatively High 0
12 Union County 88.8 Relatively High 0
13 Durham County 88.1 Relatively High 0
14 Forsyth County 85.9 Relatively High 0
15 Surry County 84.2 Relatively High 0
16 Iredell County 83.9 Relatively Moderate 0
17 Johnston County 83.8 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Davidson County 83.5 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Ashe County 82.2 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Onslow County 80.6 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Cleveland County 78.6 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Wilkes County 78.5 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Lenoir County 76.1 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Cumberland County 75.9 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Wayne County 75.8 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Catawba County 75.7 Relatively Moderate 0
27 Cabarrus County 74.8 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Orange County 74.5 Relatively Moderate 0
29 Craven County 74.3 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Caldwell County 74.1 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Rockingham County 73.4 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Richmond County 73.2 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Brunswick County 72.7 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Rowan County 72.6 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Scotland County 72.4 Relatively Moderate 0
36 Anson County 72.3 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Pitt County 71.6 Relatively Moderate 0
38 Haywood County 70.9 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Lincoln County 70.4 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Guilford County 69 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Beaufort County 66.4 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Nash County 62.6 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Perquimans County 61 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Harnett County 60.1 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Jackson County 59.1 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Randolph County 58.5 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Franklin County 57.3 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Alexander County 56.6 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Alamance County 56.1 Relatively Moderate 0
50 McDowell County 55.4 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Gates County 55.2 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Polk County 55.1 Relatively Moderate 0
53 New Hanover County 54.6 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Wilson County 54.5 Relatively Moderate 0
55 Hoke County 54.3 Relatively Moderate 0
56 Stanly County 54 Relatively Moderate 0
57 Pender County 53 Relatively Moderate 0
58 Transylvania County 51.9 Relatively Moderate 0
59 Pasquotank County 51.8 Relatively Moderate 0
60 Yadkin County 51.6 Relatively Low 0
61 Macon County 50.9 Relatively Low 0
62 Swain County 49.8 Relatively Low 0
63 Wake County 49.3 Relatively Low 0
64 Cherokee County 48.8 Relatively Low 0
65 Burke County 48.7 Relatively Low 0
66 Carteret County 48.1 Relatively Low 0
67 Hertford County 46.9 Relatively Low 0
68 Halifax County 45.5 Relatively Low 0
69 Watauga County 45.5 Relatively Low 0
70 Vance County 44.7 Relatively Low 0
71 Montgomery County 44.6 Relatively Low 0
72 Person County 42.7 Relatively Low 0
73 Yancey County 41.8 Relatively Low 0
74 Greene County 41 Relatively Low 0
75 Moore County 39.9 Relatively Low 0
76 Jones County 39.8 Relatively Low 0
77 Lee County 39.7 Relatively Low 0
78 Avery County 39.5 Relatively Low 0
79 Bertie County 37.1 Relatively Low 0
80 Chatham County 36.5 Relatively Low 0
81 Granville County 36.5 Relatively Low 0
82 Stokes County 35.4 Relatively Low 0
83 Dare County 35.2 Relatively Low 0
84 Chowan County 34 Relatively Low 0
85 Martin County 33.8 Relatively Low 0
86 Davie County 32.5 Relatively Low 0
87 Northampton County 32.1 Relatively Low 0
88 Warren County 30.7 Relatively Low 0
89 Madison County 29.5 Relatively Low 0
90 Caswell County 28.2 Relatively Low 0
91 Clay County 27.5 Relatively Low 0
92 Graham County 26.9 Relatively Low 0
93 Washington County 26.4 Relatively Low 0
94 Mitchell County 25.5 Relatively Low 0
95 Alleghany County 24.3 Relatively Low 0
96 Pamlico County 19.7 Relatively Low 0
97 Hyde County 18 Relatively Low 0
98 Tyrrell County 16.8 Very Low 0
99 Currituck County 16 Very Low 0
100 Camden County 10.7 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.

Strong Wind risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in North Carolina:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest strong wind risk county in North Carolina?

Columbus County, NC has the highest strong wind risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.4 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

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

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

What causes strong wind risk in North Carolina?

Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.