Natural hazards · Selma

Selma, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Selma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2018. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Selma?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Selma to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes23%Heat waves7%Hurricanes7%Cold waves5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Selma faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Selma flood?

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

5paid claims since 2018

$159Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20182026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Eta: 3 claims, $151K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Johnston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Selma

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SelmaDeclared for Johnston County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

48 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $43K to the Town of Selma for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

306 households applied for aid $383K aid approved $170K to the Town of Selma for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $11K to the Town of Selma for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

67 households applied for aid $261K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

15 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$3K to the Town of Selma for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$41K to the Town of Selma for repairs

Johnston County has had 21 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. Selma covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Selma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Selma. 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 Selma total about $781K 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.