Natural hazards · Atlantic

Atlantic, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atlantic comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Atlantic?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes87%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Atlantic faces

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

Hurricanes

87% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Inland floodingCoastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Atlantic flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Atlantic.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Carteret County.

Disasters that hit Atlantic

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AtlanticDeclared for Carteret County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

49 households applied for aid $38K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

37 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

92 households applied for aid $206K aid approved

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 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 Atlantic’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Atlantic. 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.