Natural hazards · Hampstead

Hampstead, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hampstead comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 128 claims here since 1988. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hampstead?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hampstead to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes67%Inland flooding19%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Hampstead faces

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

Hurricanes

67% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Hampstead flood?

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

128paid claims since 1988

$2.6Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19882026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 54 claims, $1.3M
Hurricane Fran: 35 claims, $518K
Hurricane Floyd: 20 claims, $175K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pender County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Hampstead

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HampsteadDeclared for Pender County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

2,215 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

63 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

81 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

30 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

65 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

Pender 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. Hampstead covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hampstead’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Hampstead. 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 Hampstead total about $9.2M 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.