Natural hazards · La Grange

La Grange, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in La Grange comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2016. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is La Grange?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in La Grange to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes44%Inland flooding29%Tornadoes12%Everything else15%

By hazard

What La Grange faces

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

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 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 La Grange flood?

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

2paid claims since 2016

$40Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $27K
Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $13K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lenoir County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit La Grange

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into La GrangeDeclared for Lenoir County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

265 households applied for aid $111K aid approved $133K to the Town of La Grange for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

521 households applied for aid $665K aid approved $122K to the Town of La Grange for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

203 households applied for aid $137K aid approved $74K to the Town of La Grange for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

70 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $87K to the Town of La Grange for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$375K to the Town of La Grange for repairs

Lenoir 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. La Grange covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to La Grange’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of La Grange. 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 La Grange total about $3.0M 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.