Natural hazards · Kill Devil Hills

Kill Devil Hills, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kill Devil Hills comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,308 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kill Devil Hills?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kill Devil Hills to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes83%Inland flooding9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Kill Devil Hills faces

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

Hurricanes

83% 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

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years 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 Kill Devil Hills flood?

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

1,308paid claims since 1978

$18.4Mpaid to owners

135homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isabel: 212 claims, $5.3M
Hurricane Matthew: 183 claims, $3.4M
Hurricane Irene: 160 claims, $2.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (19) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Kill Devil Hills is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Dare County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Kill Devil Hills

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Kill Devil HillsDeclared for Dare County only

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$3.1M to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2018

Tropical Storm Michael

$109K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

$33K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

328 households applied for aid $344K aid approved $320K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

707 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $244K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2010

Hurricane Earl

$5K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

244 households applied for aid $142K aid approved $1.0M to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$196K to the Town of Kill Devil Hills for repairs

Dare County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Kill Devil Hills

Kill Devil Hills and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nags Headmostly hurricanesVery high

Kitty Hawkmostly hurricanesVery high

Kill Devil Hillsmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Kill Devil Hills covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kill Devil Hills’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kill Devil Hills. 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 Kill Devil Hills total about $12.8M 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.