Dare County, NC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Dare County has experienced 31 federally declared disasters since 1989, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Dare County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 53% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (21st 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. Dare County has been designated in 31 declarations since 1989, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (22), tropical storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Tropical Storm | Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
Showing the 10 most recent of 31 total declarations since 1989.
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 Low | 82.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 50.3 | 26 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 51.2 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47 | 2 | 0 | $250K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 13.8 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 24.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 21.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.7 | 2 | 1 | $500K |
| Drought | Very Low | 14.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 20.7 | 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
Dare County ranks in the 21st 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 | 21st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 38th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 14th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 41st | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 14th | 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 | 89th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 94th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 32.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 38 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 15 in 2016–20 vs 23 in 2021–25 (+53% — frequency increasing).
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 Dare County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Dare County, North Carolina are hurricane, lightning, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Dare County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Dare County has received 31 federal disaster declarations since 1989, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (22 declarations).
Has Dare County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Dare County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight (2025), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1989.
How does Dare County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hyde County, NC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Currituck County, NC has the lowest (Very Low). Dare County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Dare County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Dare 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. Dare County's composite score of 90 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 90% of US counties.