Natural hazards · Carrboro

Carrboro, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carrboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 40 claims here since 1982. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carrboro?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carrboro to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes12%Hurricanes6%Heat waves5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Carrboro faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Carrboro flood?

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

40paid claims since 1982

$2.6Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

2025 July TS Chantal: 23 claims, $2.4M
Hurricane Florence: 6 claims, $77K
Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $29K

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

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4homes raised above flood level

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Carrboro

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarrboroDeclared for Orange County only

2025

Tropical Depression Chantal

$109K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

14 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $170K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$16K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

$11K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$140K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$8K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$15K to the Town of Carrboro for repairs

Orange 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. Carrboro covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carrboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Carrboro. 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 Carrboro total about $4.5M 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.