Natural hazards · Southern Pines

Southern Pines, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Southern Pines comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2016. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Southern Pines?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Southern Pines to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes17%Hurricanes15%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Southern Pines faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Southern Pines flood?

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

8paid claims since 2016

$352Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 3 claims, $42K
2025 July TS Chantal: 2 claims, $271K
Hurricane Florence: 2 claims, $27K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Moore County.

Disasters that hit Southern Pines

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Southern PinesDeclared for Moore County only

2025

Tropical Depression Chantal

$191K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

83 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $137K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

40 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $72K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$243K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$861K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$2K to the Town of Southern Pines for repairs

Moore County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Southern Pines

Southern Pines and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whispering Pinesmostly inland floodingModerate

Pinehurstmostly inland floodingLow

Southern Pinesmostly inland floodingLow

Aberdeenmostly inland floodingLow

Carthagemostly 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. Southern Pines covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Southern Pines’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Southern Pines. 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 Southern Pines total about $3.8M 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.