Natural hazards · Hamilton

Hamilton, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hamilton comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1999. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hamilton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hamilton to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes46%Inland flooding30%Drought11%Tornadoes6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Hamilton faces

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

Hurricanes

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Hamilton flood?

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

1paid claims since 1999

$26Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $26K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hamilton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Martin County.

Disasters that hit Hamilton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HamiltonDeclared for Martin County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

11 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

35 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $8K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

2 households applied for aid

2003

Hurricane Isabel

45 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $20K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$17K to the Town of Hamilton for repairs

Martin County has had 18 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. Hamilton 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 Hamilton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hamilton. 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.