Brunswick County, NC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Brunswick County has experienced 35 federally declared disasters since 1984, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Brunswick County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, wildfire, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 117 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (23rd percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Brunswick County has been designated in 35 declarations since 1984, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (25), tropical storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Fire | Sunset Drive Fire |
| 2025 | Tropical Storm | Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
Showing the 10 most recent of 35 total declarations since 1984.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | 70 | 1 | $4.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 89.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87 | 21 | 3 | $3.4M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 24.5 | 20 | 0 | $20K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 72.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.4 | 6 | 0 | $180K |
| Drought | Very Low | 28.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Brunswick County ranks in the 23rd percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 23rd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 35th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 12th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 50th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 20th | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 77th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 58.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 117 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 57 in 2016–20 vs 60 in 2021–25 (+5% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Brunswick County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Brunswick County, North Carolina are hurricane, wildfire, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Brunswick County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Brunswick County has received 35 federal disaster declarations since 1984, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (25 declarations).
Has Brunswick County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Brunswick County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Sunset Drive Fire (2025), Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight (2025), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1984.
How does Brunswick County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Horry County, SC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Bladen County, NC has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Brunswick County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Brunswick County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Brunswick County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Brunswick County's composite score of 96 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 96% of US counties.