Natural hazards · Kernersville

Kernersville, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kernersville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2010. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kernersville?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kernersville to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Cold waves6%Tornadoes6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Kernersville faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Kernersville flood?

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

4paid claims since 2010

$136Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20102026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Michael: 1 claim, $15K

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

Insurance rates: Forsyth County.

Disasters that hit Kernersville

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KernersvilleDeclared for Forsyth County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

77 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $53K to the Town of Kernersville for repairs

2018

Tropical Storm Michael

$44K to the Town of Kernersville for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid

2003

Ice Storm

$163K to the Town of Kernersville for repairs

Forsyth County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Kernersville

Kernersville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Winston-Salemmostly inland floodingModerate

Kernersvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Greensboromostly inland floodingModerate

Walkertownmostly 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. Kernersville covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kernersville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kernersville. 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 Kernersville total about $6.5M 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.