Natural hazards · Kenly

Kenly, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kenly comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2016. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kenly?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kenly to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding47%Tornadoes17%Hurricanes11%Everything else25%

By hazard

What Kenly faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 88 years in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 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 Kenly flood?

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

5paid claims since 2016

$159Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Eta: 2 claims, $72K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $9K
Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $46K

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

Insurance rates: Johnston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Kenly

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KenlyDeclared for Johnston County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

39 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $61K to the Town of Kenly for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

167 households applied for aid $227K aid approved $225K to the Town of Kenly for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

13 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

30 households applied for aid $36K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

17 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$2K to the Town of Kenly for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$56K to the Town of Kenly for repairs

Johnston County has had 21 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. Kenly covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kenly’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kenly. 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 Kenly total about $956K 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.