Natural hazards · Zebulon

Zebulon, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Zebulon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1999. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Zebulon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Zebulon to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes7%Tornadoes7%Heat waves5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Zebulon 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

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Zebulon flood?

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

10paid claims since 1999

$187Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 4 claims, $168K
Hurricane Matthew: 3 claims, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Zebulon 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.

Disasters that hit Zebulon

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ZebulonDeclared for Wake County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

55 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid

2003

Hurricane Isabel

33 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

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. Zebulon covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Zebulon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Zebulon. 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 Zebulon total about $2.2M 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.