Natural hazards · Salisbury

Salisbury, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salisbury comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1982. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Salisbury?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding55%Cold waves18%Tornadoes11%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Salisbury faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Salisbury flood?

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

25paid claims since 1982

$774Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Cindy: 3 claims, $42K
Hurricane Eta: 1 claim, $13K
Hurricane Michael: 1 claim, $8K

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

Insurance rates: Rowan County.

Disasters that hit Salisbury

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalisburyDeclared for Rowan County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

417 households applied for aid $505K aid approved

2018

Hurricane Florence

$109K to the City of Salisbury for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$897K to the City of Salisbury for repairs

Rowan County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Salisbury

Salisbury and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Spencermostly inland floodingModerate

Salisburymostly inland floodingModerate

Granite Quarrymostly inland floodingModerate

Spencermostly inland floodingLow

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. Salisbury covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Salisbury’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Salisbury. 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 Salisbury total about $11.4M 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.