Natural hazards · Granite Falls

Granite Falls, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Granite Falls comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2019. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Granite Falls?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Granite Falls to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes11%Strong wind5%Ice storms5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Granite Falls 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

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Granite Falls flood?

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

4paid claims since 2019

$596Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20192026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Eta: 2 claims, $556K

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

Insurance rates: Caldwell County.

Disasters that hit Granite Falls

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Granite FallsDeclared for Caldwell County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

1,253 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $266K to the Town of Granite Falls for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$1K to the Town of Granite Falls for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

6 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Caldwell County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Granite Falls

Granite Falls and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northlakesmostly inland floodingHigh

Rhodhissmostly inland floodingModerate

Hickorymostly inland floodingLow

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