Natural hazards · Brevard

Brevard, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brevard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1994. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brevard?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brevard to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding40%Cold waves38%Tornadoes7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Brevard faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

38% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% 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 Brevard flood?

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

33paid claims since 1994

$2.6Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19942026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 20 claims, $2.4M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Transylvania County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

11flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

5homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Brevard

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrevardDeclared for Transylvania County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

2,525 households applied for aid $4.7M aid approved $2.0M to the City of Brevard for repairs

2021

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

172 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

81 households applied for aid $48K aid approved $35K to the City of Brevard for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

56 households applied for aid $113K aid approved $6K to the City of Brevard for repairs

Transylvania County has had 15 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. Brevard 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 Brevard’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brevard. 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.