Natural hazards · Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winston-Salem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 250 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Winston-Salem?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winston-Salem to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes8%Cold waves7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Winston-Salem faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Winston-Salem flood?

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

250paid claims since 1978

$3.5Mpaid to owners

36homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Michael: 14 claims, $468K
Hurricane Eta: 13 claims, $268K
Hurricane Florence: 3 claims, $22K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (15) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Winston-Salem is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Forsyth County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Winston-Salem

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Winston-Salem itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Winston-Salem.

Brought FEMA money into Winston-SalemDeclared for Forsyth County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

562 households applied for aid $345K aid approved

2018

Tropical Storm Michael

$1.6M to the City of Winston-Salem for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

10 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2003

Ice Storm

$1.8M to the City of Winston-Salem for repairs

Forsyth County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Clemmonsmostly inland floodingModerate

Winston-Salemmostly inland floodingModerate

Kernersvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Tobaccovillemostly inland floodingModerate

Walkertownmostly inland floodingLow

Midwaymostly inland floodingLow

Rural Hallmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Winston-Salem covers 60 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winston-Salem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Winston-Salem. 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 Winston-Salem total about $62.8M 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.