Natural hazards · Wallace

Wallace, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wallace comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1992. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wallace?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wallace to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes69%Inland flooding18%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Wallace faces

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

Hurricanes

69% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% 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 Wallace flood?

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

41paid claims since 1992

$2.9Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 18 claims, $2.4M
Hurricane Floyd: 8 claims, $314K
Tropical Storm Ernesto: 5 claims, $85K

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

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

Insurance rates: Duplin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

44flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Wallace

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WallaceDeclared for Duplin County only

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$7K to the Town of Wallace for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$40K to the Town of Wallace for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

1,445 households applied for aid $9.3M aid approved $1.6M to the Town of Wallace for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

219 households applied for aid $198K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

70 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

74 households applied for aid $62K aid approved

Duplin County has had 19 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. Wallace covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wallace’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wallace. 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 Wallace total about $3.2M 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.