Natural hazards · Navassa

Navassa, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Navassa comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2006. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Navassa?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Navassa to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes68%Inland flooding16%Tornadoes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Navassa faces

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

Hurricanes

68% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

16% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Navassa flood?

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

4paid claims since 2006

$162Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 2 claims, $51K
Tropical Storm Ernesto: 1 claim, $16K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Brunswick County.

Disasters that hit Navassa

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NavassaDeclared for Brunswick County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

55 households applied for aid $87K aid approved $240K to the Town of Navassa for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

9 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $7K to the Town of Navassa for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

13 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $4K to the Town of Navassa for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

9 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

19 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

Brunswick County has had 26 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. Navassa covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Navassa’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Navassa. 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 Navassa total about $2.2M 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.