Natural hazards · Rich Square

Rich Square, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rich Square comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rich Square?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rich Square to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding37%Hurricanes28%Tornadoes13%Drought7%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Rich Square faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 58 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Rich Square flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Rich Square.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Northampton County.

Disasters that hit Rich Square

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rich SquareDeclared for Northampton County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

29 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

177 households applied for aid $83K aid approved $23K to the Town of Rich Square for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

325 households applied for aid $201K aid approved $13K to the Town of Rich Square for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$909 to the Town of Rich Square for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$38K to the Town of Rich Square for repairs

Northampton 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. Rich Square 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 Rich Square’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rich Square. 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.