Natural hazards · Pittsboro

Pittsboro, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pittsboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 2018. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pittsboro?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pittsboro to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Tornadoes15%Hurricanes11%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Pittsboro faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Pittsboro flood?

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

12paid claims since 2018

$604Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

20182026

Biggest named events

2025 July TS Chantal: 8 claims, $457K
Hurricane Florence: 3 claims, $128K

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

Insurance rates: Chatham County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Pittsboro

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PittsboroDeclared for Chatham County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

21 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $59K to the Town of Pittsboro for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

4 households applied for aid $27K to the Town of Pittsboro for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$41K to the Town of Pittsboro for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$4K to the Town of Pittsboro for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$3K to the Town of Pittsboro for repairs

Chatham County has had 17 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. Pittsboro covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pittsboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Pittsboro. 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 Pittsboro total about $741K 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.