Natural hazards · Roper

Roper, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Roper comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2011. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Roper?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Roper to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes79%Inland flooding11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Roper faces

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

Hurricanes

79% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Roper flood?

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

3paid claims since 2011

$83Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $73K
Hurricane Ian: 1 claim, $10K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Roper

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RoperDeclared for Washington County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

96 households applied for aid $53K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

276 households applied for aid $227K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

65 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

594 households applied for aid $564K aid approved

Washington County has had 18 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. Roper 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 Roper’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Roper. 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.