Natural hazards · Garner

Garner, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garner comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1989. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garner?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garner to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes8%Heat waves6%Hail5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Garner faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Garner flood?

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

27paid claims since 1989

$245Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 9 claims, $53K
Hurricane Eta: 2 claims, $27K
Hurricane Matthew: 2 claims, $55K

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. Garner isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Wake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Garner

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarnerDeclared for Wake County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

135 households applied for aid $135K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

17 households applied for aid $27K aid approved $31K to the Town of Garner for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$263K to the Town of Garner for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$6K to the Town of Garner for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$26K to the Town of Garner for repairs

Wake County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Garner

Garner and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Raleighmostly inland floodingModerate

Fuquay-Varinamostly inland floodingLow

Garnermostly 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. Garner covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Garner’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Garner. 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 Garner total about $3.0M 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.