Natural hazards · Greensboro

Greensboro, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greensboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 363 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Greensboro?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greensboro to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Hurricanes6%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Greensboro faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Greensboro flood?

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

363paid claims since 1978

$7.7Mpaid to owners

43homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 23 claims, $405K
Hurricane Florence: 22 claims, $1.2M
Hurricane Isabel: 13 claims, $251K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (15) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Guilford County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Greensboro

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GreensboroDeclared for Guilford County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

271 households applied for aid $127K aid approved

2018

Tornado and Severe Storms

1,384 households applied for aid $634K aid approved

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$1.9M to the City of Greensboro for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

14 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2003

Ice Storm

$1.6M to the City of Greensboro for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$1.1M to the City of Greensboro for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$211K to the City of Greensboro for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$3K to the City of Greensboro for repairs

Guilford County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Greensboro

Greensboro and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jamestownmostly inland floodingHigh

McLeansvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Forest Oaksmostly inland floodingModerate

Summerfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Kernersvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Greensboromostly inland floodingModerate

High Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Oak Ridgemostly 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. Greensboro covers 69 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Greensboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Greensboro. 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 Greensboro total about $66.1M 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.