Natural hazards · Lenoir

Lenoir, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lenoir comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lenoir?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lenoir to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Earthquakes10%Tornadoes7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Lenoir faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lenoir flood?

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

29paid claims since 1979

$331Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ernesto: 1 claim, $24K
Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $2K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $26K

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

Insurance rates: Caldwell County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Lenoir

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LenoirDeclared for Caldwell County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

4,862 households applied for aid $6.2M aid approved $210K to the City of Lenoir for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$20K to the City of Lenoir for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

18 households applied for aid $27K aid approved $4K to the City of Lenoir for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

31 households applied for aid $47K aid approved $26K to the City of Lenoir for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$15K to the City of Lenoir for repairs

Caldwell County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Lenoir

Lenoir and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gamewellmostly inland floodingHigh

Hudsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Sawmillsmostly inland floodingLow

Lenoirmostly inland floodingLow

Cajah's Mountainmostly 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. Lenoir covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lenoir’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lenoir. 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 Lenoir total about $3.6M 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.