Natural hazards · Wendell

Wendell, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wendell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1996. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wendell?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wendell to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes10%Hurricanes7%Heat waves7%Hail5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Wendell faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Wendell flood?

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

8paid claims since 1996

$145Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 4 claims, $72K
Hurricane Matthew: 2 claims, $68K
Hurricane Fran: 1 claim, $642

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

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

Insurance rates: Wake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Wendell

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WendellDeclared for Wake County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

56 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $42K to the Town of Wendell for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Isabel

16 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $13K to the Town of Wendell for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$98K to the Town of Wendell for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$8K to the Town of Wendell for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$58K to the Town of Wendell for repairs

Wake County has had 22 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. Wendell is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wendell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wendell. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.