Natural hazards · Kinston

Kinston, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kinston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Kinston?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kinston to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding53%Hurricanes26%Tornadoes11%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Kinston faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 22 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Kinston flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kinston, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 1998

$31Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Georges: 1 claim, $31K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Kinston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Coffee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9storm safe rooms built

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Kinston

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Kinston itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Kinston.

Brought FEMA money into KinstonDeclared for Coffee County only

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$29K to the Town of Kinston for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$900 to the Town of Kinston for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Straight-Line

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

41 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $5K to the Town of Kinston for repairs

Coffee County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Kinston is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kinston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kinston. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.