Natural hazards · High Point

High Point, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in High Point comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 72 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is High Point?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in High Point to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Tornadoes6%Hurricanes6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What High Point faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 High Point flood?

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

72paid claims since 1979

$818Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

2025 July TS Chantal: 7 claims, $441K
Hurricane Fran: 4 claims, $43K
Hurricane Michael: 2 claims, $30K

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

Insurance rates: Guilford County.

Disasters that hit High Point

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into High PointDeclared for Guilford County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

89 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $1.6M to the City of High Point for repairs

2018

Tornado and Severe Storms

18 households applied for aid

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$2.9M to the City of High Point for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

10 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2003

Ice Storm

$202K to the City of High Point for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$958K to the City of High Point for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$64K to the City of High Point for repairs

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

Around High Point

High Point and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jamestownmostly inland floodingHigh

Archdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Greensboromostly inland floodingModerate

High Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Thomasvillemostly 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. High Point covers 25 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to High Point’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of High Point. 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 High Point total about $23.5M 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.