109,495 flood insurance claims·$2.3B paid·128,344 policies in force
0 flood alerts from the National Weather Service, checked 1 minute ago. Whole U.S. →
| River gauge | Now | Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Fear River at Wilmington (IN MLLW) | Near flood stage (5.2 ft) | Near flood stage |
Is your address in the flood zone? Search it above for FEMA’s zone and base flood elevation. A new flood insurance policy usually takes 30 days to start (NFIP rule; exceptions include a policy bought when closing a mortgage), so one bought during a flood generally won’t cover it. Homeowners policies don’t cover flood.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around North Carolina. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
North Carolina faces a mixed flood risk profile dominated heavily by frequent flash floods, riverine floods, and tropical weather systems including tropical storms and hurricanes. Over the past 30 years, NOAA data records thousands of flash flood and general flood events, alongside hundreds of tropical storm and hurricane occurrences, which together account for hundreds of fatalities across the state.
This multi-faceted hazard landscape impacts both coastal and inland areas. Coastal zones experience distinct coastal flooding, storm surge, and tide events, while tropical systems consistently threaten the region. Recent federal disaster declarations underscore this ongoing vulnerability, highlighted by multiple declarations for Tropical Depression Chantal in July 2025.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim history demonstrates that flood risks extend well beyond traditional high-risk zones. While FEMA Zone A holds the majority of claims with 77,420 filings totaling $1,705 million paid, significant financial impacts occur outside of primary high-risk areas. Zones categorized as X, X-shaded, and X-unshaded account for thousands of claims and hundreds of millions of dollars paid. This distribution indicates that residents in moderate-to-low risk zones frequently experience unexpected flooding and file surprise claims, proving that property owners outside of designated high-risk coastal and riverine zones still require insurance coverage.
Summary generated from FEMA disaster declarations, NOAA storm events, and NFIP claim data. Updated quarterly.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, Policies, and Disaster Declarations data. NFIP policies in force and average premium (premium plus federal policy fee) as of August 31, 2026, from OpenFEMA.
North Carolina has received 2,431 federal disaster declarations, including 63 flood and coastal storm declarations and 556 hurricane declarations.
NFIP claims by county, 1978 to date. Source: OpenFEMA. Counties ranked by recorded flood events →
Properties in North Carolina FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
North Carolina had 128,344 NFIP policies in force on August 31, 2026, and the average NFIP premium was $929 a year (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top, and nationally they make actual bills about a quarter higher). Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 each building is priced on its own flood risk, so a state average says little about what any one home will pay.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from properties outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. North Carolina residents can purchase flood insurance through the NFIP or private insurers.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.
See the most flood-prone counties in North Carolina →
Select a county to view local flood zone data and disaster history:
Select a city to check flood zone information: