Natural hazards · Chadbourn

Chadbourn, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chadbourn comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1996. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chadbourn?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chadbourn to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes52%Inland flooding15%Strong wind11%Tornadoes8%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Chadbourn faces

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

Hurricanes

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

15% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 40 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Chadbourn flood?

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

6paid claims since 1996

$69Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $38K
Hurricane Fran: 1 claim, $9K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Columbus County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Chadbourn

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChadbournDeclared for Columbus County only

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$9K to the Town of Chadbourn for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

671 households applied for aid $480K aid approved $61K to the Town of Chadbourn for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

730 households applied for aid $848K aid approved $64K to the Town of Chadbourn for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

173 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $7K to the Town of Chadbourn for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

571 households applied for aid $928K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

596 households applied for aid $529K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$60K to the Town of Chadbourn for repairs

Columbus County has had 21 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. Chadbourn covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chadbourn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chadbourn. 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 Chadbourn total about $3.6M 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.