Natural hazards · Matthews

Matthews, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Matthews comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 2014. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Matthews?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Matthews to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Tornadoes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Matthews faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Matthews flood?

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

11paid claims since 2014

$170Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20142026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $2K

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

Insurance rates: Mecklenburg County.

Disasters that hit Matthews

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MatthewsDeclared for Mecklenburg County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

280 households applied for aid $88K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$84K to the Town of Matthews for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$86K to the Town of Matthews for repairs

Mecklenburg County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Matthews

Matthews and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Stallingsmostly inland floodingHigh

Charlottemostly inland floodingModerate

Matthewsmostly inland floodingModerate

Mint Hillmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Matthews covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Matthews’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Matthews. 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 Matthews total about $9.5M 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.