Natural hazards · Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oak Ridge comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2006. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oak Ridge?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oak Ridge to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Hurricanes6%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Oak Ridge faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Oak Ridge flood?

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

2paid claims since 2006

$28Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Michael: 1 claim, $10K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Guilford County.

Disasters that hit Oak Ridge

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Oak RidgeDeclared for Guilford County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

4 households applied for aid

2004

Hurricane Ivan

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Guilford County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Summerfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Greensboromostly inland floodingModerate

Oak Ridgemostly inland floodingLow

Stokesdalemostly 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. Oak Ridge covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oak Ridge’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Oak Ridge. 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 Oak Ridge total about $1.1M 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.