Natural hazards · Raleigh

Raleigh, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Raleigh comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 900 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Raleigh?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Raleigh to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Tornadoes7%Heat waves5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Raleigh faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Raleigh flood?

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

900paid claims since 1978

$25.3Mpaid to owners

121homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 262 claims, $7.5M
Hurricane Floyd: 73 claims, $930K
Hurricane Matthew: 55 claims, $2.8M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (29) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Raleigh is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Wake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

95flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

27homes raised above flood level

1buildings floodproofed

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Raleigh

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RaleighDeclared for Wake County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

568 households applied for aid $377K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2,047 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $3.9M to the City of Raleigh for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

342 households applied for aid $291K aid approved $850K to the City of Raleigh for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$9.7M to the City of Raleigh for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$288K to the City of Raleigh for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$976K to the City of Raleigh for repairs

Wake County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Raleigh

Raleigh and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wake Forestmostly inland floodingModerate

Carymostly inland floodingModerate

Raleighmostly inland floodingModerate

Durhammostly inland floodingModerate

Garnermostly inland floodingLow

Knightdalemostly inland floodingVery low

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. Raleigh covers 89 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Raleigh’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Raleigh. 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 Raleigh total about $105M 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.