Natural hazards · St. James

St. James, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. James comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 90 claims here since 1999. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is St. James?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. James to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes73%Inland flooding19%Everything else8%

By hazard

What St. James faces

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

Hurricanes

73% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 St. James flood?

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

90paid claims since 1999

$982Kpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 44 claims, $402K
Hurricane Isaias: 22 claims, $190K
Tropical Cyclone Eight: 15 claims, $303K

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. St. James is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Brunswick County.

Disasters that hit St. James

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into St. JamesDeclared for Brunswick County only

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$37K to the Town of St. James for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

$449K to the Town of St. James for repairs

Brunswick County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around St. James

St. James and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Jamesmostly hurricanesVery high

Oak Islandmostly hurricanesVery high

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. St. James covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. James’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of St. James. 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 St. James total about $13.2M 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.