Natural hazards · Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Blowing Rock comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1989. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Blowing Rock?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Blowing Rock to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Cold waves8%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Blowing Rock faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Blowing Rock flood?

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

8paid claims since 1989

$198Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Watauga County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Blowing Rock

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Blowing RockDeclared for Watauga County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

358 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $1.5M to the Town of Blowing Rock for repairs

2021

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

$97K to the Town of Blowing Rock for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$337K to the Town of Blowing Rock for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$116K to the Town of Blowing Rock for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

7 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

13 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

Watauga 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. Blowing Rock 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 Blowing Rock’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Blowing Rock. 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.