Natural hazards · Spindale

Spindale, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Spindale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Spindale?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Spindale to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding46%Strong wind16%Tornadoes11%Earthquakes9%Ice storms5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Spindale faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

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

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Spindale flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Spindale.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Spindale 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.

Disasters that hit Spindale

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpindaleDeclared for Rutherford County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

887 households applied for aid $987K aid approved $1.5M to the Town of Spindale for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$13K to the Town of Spindale for repairs

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

Around Spindale

Spindale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rutherfordtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Forest Citymostly inland floodingModerate

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. Spindale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Spindale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Spindale. 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 Spindale total about $1.2M 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.