Natural hazards · Forest

Forest, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2019. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Forest?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Strong wind11%Earthquakes8%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Forest 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 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Forest flood?

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

3paid claims since 2019

$98Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20192026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rutherford County.

Disasters that hit Forest

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ForestDeclared for Rutherford County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

3,964 households applied for aid $4.0M aid approved $2.0M to the Town of Forest for repairs

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$551K to the Town of Forest for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

4 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

9 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$52K to the Town of Forest for repairs

Rutherford County has had 19 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. Forest covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Forest’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Forest. 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 Forest total about $1.9M 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.