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Natural hazards · Graham

Graham, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Graham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1995. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Graham?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Graham to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Tornadoes11%Hurricanes5%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Graham faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Graham flood?

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

27paid claims since 1995
$1.8Mpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19952026

Biggest named events

  • 2025 July TS Chantal: 16 claims, $1.7M
  • Hurricane Fran: 3 claims, $13K
  • Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $2K

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. Graham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Alamance County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Graham

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GrahamDeclared for Alamance County only
2025

Tropical Depression Chantal

$16.2M to the City of Graham for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm

$271K to the City of Graham for repairs
2003

Ice Storm

$35K to the City of Graham for repairs
2002

Severe Ice Storm

$46K to the City of Graham for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Storm

$13K to the City of Graham for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$2K to the City of Graham for repairs
Alamance County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Graham

Graham and the towns around it

Burlington: Low, mostly inland floodingHaw River: Low, mostly inland floodingGlen Raven: Low, mostly inland floodingElon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGibsonville: Low, mostly inland floodingWhitsett: High, mostly inland floodingGreen Level: Low, mostly inland floodingGraham: Moderate, mostly inland flooding GrahamBurlingtonHaw River
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Grahammostly inland floodingModerate
Haw Rivermostly inland floodingLow
Burlingtonmostly 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. Graham covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Graham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Graham. 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 Graham total about $2.7M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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