Natural hazards · Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wrightsville Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,687 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wrightsville Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wrightsville Beach to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes66%Coastal flooding15%Inland flooding14%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Wrightsville Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

66% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

15% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Wrightsville Beach flood?

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

2,687paid claims since 1978

$52.1Mpaid to owners

544homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 1,229 claims, $31.7M
Hurricane Floyd: 751 claims, $10.7M
Hurricane Bonnie: 317 claims, $2.6M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 10 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (53) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Wrightsville Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: New Hanover County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Wrightsville Beach

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Wrightsville BeachDeclared for New Hanover County only

2020

Hurricane Isaias

$73K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$83K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

236 households applied for aid $137K aid approved $432K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$27K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

2 households applied for aid $25K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds

1 household applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$80K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

2 households applied for aid $19K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$242K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Dennis

$19K to the Town of Wrightsville Beach for repairs

New Hanover County has had 23 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. Wrightsville Beach 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 Wrightsville Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wrightsville Beach. 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.