Natural hazards · Lake Lure

Lake Lure, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lake Lure comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2018. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lake Lure?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lake Lure to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Lake Lure faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Lake Lure flood?

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

10paid claims since 2018

$543Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20182026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 8 claims, $515K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $23K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rutherford County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Lake Lure

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Lake LureDeclared for Rutherford County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

962 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved $18.0M to the Town of Lake Lure for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

5 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $357K to the Town of Lake Lure for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

13 households applied for aid $32K aid approved $36K to the Town of Lake Lure for repairs

Rutherford County has had 19 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. Lake Lure covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lake Lure’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lake Lure. 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 Lake Lure total about $1.5M 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.