Natural hazards · Buxton

Buxton, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Buxton comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5,690 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Buxton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes82%Coastal flooding11%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Buxton faces

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

Hurricanes

82% 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

11% 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 Buxton flood?

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

5,690paid claims since 1978

$118Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 996 claims, $21.8M
Hurricane Isabel: 752 claims, $23.5M
Hurricane Emily: 528 claims, $7.6M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dare County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Buxton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BuxtonDeclared for Dare County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

47 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

131 households applied for aid $73K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

69 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

Dare County has had 22 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. Buxton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Buxton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Buxton. 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 Buxton total about $17.0M 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.