Natural hazards · Durham

Durham, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Durham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 276 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Durham?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Durham to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes12%Hurricanes8%Heat waves6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Durham faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 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 Durham flood?

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

276paid claims since 1979

$9.6Mpaid to owners

44homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 38 claims, $847K
Hurricane Fran: 36 claims, $353K
2025 July TS Chantal: 35 claims, $4.6M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Durham is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Durham County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

47flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Durham

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DurhamDeclared for Durham County only

2025

Tropical Depression Chantal

$726K to the City of Durham for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

275 households applied for aid $234K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

218 households applied for aid $111K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$6.0M to the City of Durham for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$264K to the City of Durham for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$82K to the City of Durham for repairs

Durham County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Durham

Durham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chapel Hillmostly inland floodingModerate

Gormanmostly inland floodingModerate

Carymostly inland floodingModerate

Durhammostly inland floodingModerate

Raleighmostly inland floodingModerate

Morrisvillemostly inland floodingLow

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. Durham covers 55 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Durham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Durham. 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 Durham total about $67.1M 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.