Natural hazards · Tarboro

Tarboro, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tarboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 94 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tarboro?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tarboro to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Hurricanes14%Tornadoes13%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Tarboro faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

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 Tarboro flood?

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

94paid claims since 1979

$2.6Mpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 51 claims, $1.6M
Hurricane Floyd: 34 claims, $1.0M
Hurricane Eta: 1 claim, $8K

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. Tarboro is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Edgecombe County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

106flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

33homes raised above flood level

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Tarboro

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TarboroDeclared for Edgecombe County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

1,424 households applied for aid $4.1M aid approved $1.1M to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

381 households applied for aid $255K aid approved $384K to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

123 households applied for aid $151K aid approved $82K to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$19K to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$9K to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$3.6M to the Town of Tarboro for repairs

Edgecombe County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe 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. Tarboro covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tarboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Tarboro. 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 Tarboro total about $1.3M 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.