SkyGround

Natural hazard risk & disaster history for every US county

All counties › Hazards › Winter Weather

North Carolina winter weather risk

100 counties scored 7 rated Very High

Wayne County has the highest winter weather risk in North Carolina, scoring 98.5 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Wayne County 98.5 Very High 0
2 Onslow County 98.4 Very High 0
3 Pitt County 98.4 Very High 0
4 Johnston County 98.2 Very High 0
5 Craven County 97.7 Very High 0
6 Cumberland County 97.5 Very High 0
7 Nash County 97 Very High 0
8 New Hanover County 96.1 Relatively High 0
9 Edgecombe County 96 Relatively High 0
10 Guilford County 96 Relatively High 0
11 Wilson County 96 Relatively High 0
12 Lenoir County 95.5 Relatively High 0
13 Sampson County 95 Relatively High 0
14 Halifax County 94.8 Relatively High 0
15 Carteret County 94.6 Relatively High 0
16 Beaufort County 94.5 Relatively High 0
17 Duplin County 94.2 Relatively High 0
18 Robeson County 93.6 Relatively High 0
19 Brunswick County 92.8 Relatively High 0
20 Forsyth County 91.6 Relatively High 0
21 Dare County 88.5 Relatively High 0
22 Franklin County 88.3 Relatively High 0
23 Alamance County 88.2 Relatively High 0
24 Pender County 87.9 Relatively High 0
25 Randolph County 86.4 Relatively High 0
26 Orange County 86.2 Relatively High 0
27 Pasquotank County 85.6 Relatively High 0
28 Mecklenburg County 85.4 Relatively High 0
29 Wake County 84.6 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Greene County 84.2 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Columbus County 83.8 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Harnett County 83.4 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Durham County 83.2 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Vance County 82.9 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Hertford County 82.4 Relatively Moderate 0
36 Davidson County 80.5 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Martin County 80.3 Relatively Moderate 0
38 Warren County 78.6 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Bertie County 77.5 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Granville County 77.4 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Bladen County 77.3 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Buncombe County 77.1 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Northampton County 74.4 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Pamlico County 74.3 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Washington County 73.9 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Union County 73.5 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Cabarrus County 72.9 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Jones County 72.3 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Rockingham County 71.8 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Rowan County 69.7 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Hoke County 68.3 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Person County 67.7 Relatively Moderate 0
53 Scotland County 67.2 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Currituck County 66.8 Relatively Moderate 0
55 Chowan County 64.9 Relatively Moderate 0
56 Perquimans County 63.1 Relatively Moderate 0
57 Moore County 63 Relatively Moderate 0
58 Haywood County 62.4 Relatively Moderate 0
59 Richmond County 61.4 Relatively Moderate 0
60 Catawba County 60.9 Relatively Moderate 0
61 Iredell County 59.9 Relatively Low 0
62 Surry County 59.1 Relatively Low 0
63 Gaston County 58.5 Relatively Low 0
64 Hyde County 56.2 Relatively Low 0
65 Watauga County 55.8 Relatively Low 0
66 Chatham County 55 Relatively Low 0
67 Gates County 53.7 Relatively Low 0
68 Lee County 51.3 Relatively Low 0
69 Ashe County 47 Relatively Low 0
70 Wilkes County 45.6 Relatively Low 0
71 Stanly County 44.1 Relatively Low 0
72 Caswell County 43 Relatively Low 0
73 Stokes County 42.9 Relatively Low 0
74 Tyrrell County 42.5 Relatively Low 0
75 Jackson County 42.1 Relatively Low 0
76 Henderson County 41 Relatively Low 0
77 Lincoln County 39.1 Relatively Low 0
78 Cleveland County 38.6 Relatively Low 0
79 Camden County 38.2 Relatively Low 0
80 Swain County 36.8 Relatively Low 0
81 Burke County 36.3 Relatively Low 0
82 Caldwell County 36.3 Relatively Low 0
83 Yadkin County 36.2 Relatively Low 0
84 Macon County 34.1 Relatively Low 0
85 Davie County 33.8 Relatively Low 0
86 Montgomery County 33.2 Relatively Low 0
87 Yancey County 32.8 Relatively Low 0
88 Avery County 31.6 Relatively Low 0
89 Anson County 31.3 Relatively Low 0
90 Cherokee County 28.6 Relatively Low 0
91 Rutherford County 27.8 Relatively Low 0
92 Alexander County 26.8 Relatively Low 0
93 Madison County 25.6 Relatively Low 0
94 Mitchell County 22.9 Very Low 0
95 McDowell County 22.8 Very Low 0
96 Graham County 19.8 Very Low 0
97 Alleghany County 19.3 Very Low 0
98 Transylvania County 19.2 Very Low 0
99 Polk County 11.5 Very Low 0
100 Clay County 8.1 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.

Winter Weather risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in North Carolina:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest winter weather risk county in North Carolina?

Wayne County, NC has the highest winter weather risk in North Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.5 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

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

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

What causes winter weather risk in North Carolina?

Winter weather risk captures expected losses from heavy snow, blizzards, and mixed precipitation. Highest scores appear in the Great Lakes snowbelt, northern Rockies, and interior Northeast, where lake-effect and orographic snowfall is frequent. Winter weather impacts transportation networks, utilities, agriculture, and population health.