Natural hazards · Duck

Duck, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Duck comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 127 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Duck?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Duck to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes81%Inland flooding13%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Duck faces

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

Hurricanes

81% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal 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 Duck flood?

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

127paid claims since 1993

$2.3Mpaid to owners

24homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 47 claims, $857K
Hurricane Irene: 37 claims, $702K
Hurricane Michael: 11 claims, $150K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Duck is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Dare County.

Disasters that hit Duck

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DuckDeclared for Dare County only

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$3.3M to the Town of Duck for repairs

2018

Tropical Storm Michael

$86K to the Town of Duck for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

14 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $22K to the Town of Duck for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

18 households applied for aid $214K to the Town of Duck for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

4 households applied for aid $76K to the Town of Duck for repairs

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