Natural hazards · Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sunset Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 72 claims here since 1981. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sunset Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sunset Beach to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes83%Inland flooding9%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Sunset Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

83% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% 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 Sunset Beach flood?

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

72paid claims since 1981

$748Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 12 claims, $120K
Hurricane Hugo: 10 claims, $27K
October severe storms: 5 claims, $59K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Sunset Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Brunswick County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Sunset Beach

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sunset BeachDeclared for Brunswick County only

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$10K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

$13K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2020

Hurricane Isaias

$34K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

97 households applied for aid $45K aid approved $175K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

21 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $199K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

3 households applied for aid $13K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2008

Tropical Storm Hanna

$25K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$35K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

3 households applied for aid

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$237K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Dennis

$3K to the Town of Sunset Beach for repairs

Brunswick County has had 26 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. Sunset Beach covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sunset Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sunset Beach. 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 Sunset Beach total about $8.5M 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.