Natural hazards · Beaufort

Beaufort, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beaufort comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 219 claims here since 1980. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Beaufort?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beaufort to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes85%Coastal flooding7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Beaufort faces

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

Hurricanes

85% 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

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Inland floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Beaufort flood?

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

219paid claims since 1980

$5.1Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 129 claims, $3.8M
Hurricane Ophelia: 12 claims, $106K
Hurricane Floyd: 11 claims, $75K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Beaufort is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Carteret County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

104homes raised above flood level

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Beaufort

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeaufortDeclared for Carteret County only

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$237K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

1,671 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $903K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

10 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $36K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

350 households applied for aid $501K aid approved $152K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$39K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

466 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $29K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$74K to the Town of Beaufort for repairs

1999

Hurricane Dennis

$23K to the Town of Beaufort 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. Beaufort covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Beaufort’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Beaufort. 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 Beaufort total about $4.2M 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.