Natural hazards · Greenville

Greenville, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greenville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 503 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Greenville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greenville to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding42%Hurricanes34%Tornadoes13%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Greenville faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

34% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Greenville flood?

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

503paid claims since 1979

$21.6Mpaid to owners

21homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 335 claims, $17.6M
Hurricane Matthew: 114 claims, $3.3M
Hurricane Irene: 14 claims, $185K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Greenville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pitt County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

479flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Greenville

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GreenvilleDeclared for Pitt County only

2020

Hurricane Isaias

$138K to the City of Greenville for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$115K to the City of Greenville for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

295 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $387K to the City of Greenville for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

2,227 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $551K to the City of Greenville for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

1,367 households applied for aid $897K aid approved $1.3M to the City of Greenville for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

25 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

43 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

308 households applied for aid $308K aid approved $198K to the City of Greenville for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$5.8M to the City of Greenville for repairs

Pitt County has had 22 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. Greenville covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Greenville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Greenville. 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 Greenville total about $34.3M 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.