Natural hazards · Locust

Locust, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Locust comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Locust?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Locust to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes13%Hurricanes7%Cold waves5%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Locust faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 91 years in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Locust flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Locust.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stanly County.

Disasters that hit Locust

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LocustDeclared for Stanly County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

16 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$21K to the City of Locust for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$35K to the City of Locust for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$2K to the City of Locust for repairs

Stanly County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Locust

Locust and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Midlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Stanfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Red Crossmostly inland floodingModerate

Locustmostly 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. Locust is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Locust’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Locust. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.