Natural hazards · Oriental

Oriental, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oriental comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,383 claims here since 1988. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oriental?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oriental to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes81%Inland flooding8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Oriental faces

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

Hurricanes

81% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oriental flood?

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

1,383paid claims since 1988

$35.3Mpaid to owners

382homes flooded more than once

19882026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 473 claims, $16.1M
Hurricane Irene: 420 claims, $12.3M
Hurricane Isabel: 348 claims, $5.6M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 7 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (30) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Oriental is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pamlico County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

39homes raised above flood level

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Oriental

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OrientalDeclared for Pamlico County only

2022

Hurricane Ian

$16K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2020

Hurricane Isaias

$11K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$27K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

413 households applied for aid $575K aid approved $548K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$31K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

456 households applied for aid $578K aid approved $294K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$21K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

441 households applied for aid $643K aid approved $41K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$123K to the Town of Oriental for repairs

Pamlico County has had 20 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. Oriental 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 Oriental’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Oriental. 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.