Natural hazards · Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atlantic Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 720 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Atlantic Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Atlantic Beach to be higher than in 100% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes80%Coastal flooding13%Inland flooding6%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Atlantic Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

80% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Coastal flooding

13% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Atlantic Beach flood?

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

720paid claims since 1980

$13.2Mpaid to owners

109homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 204 claims, $6.6M
Hurricane Irene: 119 claims, $2.5M
Hurricane Fran: 67 claims, $693K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (34) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Atlantic Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Carteret County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Atlantic Beach

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Atlantic BeachDeclared for Carteret County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

448 households applied for aid $270K aid approved $909K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

37 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $186K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

2010

Hurricane Earl

$14K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$184K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

12 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $22K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$97K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Dennis

$10K to the Town of Atlantic Beach for repairs

Carteret County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter 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. Atlantic Beach covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Atlantic Beach total about $8.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.