Natural hazards · Rutherfordton

Rutherfordton, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rutherfordton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rutherfordton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rutherfordton to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Strong wind11%Tornadoes7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Rutherfordton faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rutherfordton flood?

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

2paid claims since 2013

$12Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rutherford County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rutherfordton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RutherfordtonDeclared for Rutherford County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

4,117 households applied for aid $5.4M aid approved $1.1M to the Town of Rutherfordton for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

10 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

21 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$3K to the Town of Rutherfordton for repairs

Rutherford County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Rutherfordton

Rutherfordton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rutherfordtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Ruthmostly inland floodingLow

Spindalemostly 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. Rutherfordton 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 Rutherfordton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Rutherfordton. 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.