Enter any address in Craven County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Craven County, NC, with 23 occurrences in the last 30 years. Other flood types include general floods, tropical storms, storm surge, and coastal flooding. Recent events include coastal flooding in October 2025 due to a strong coastal storm and king tides, and Tropical Storm Debby impacting the region in August 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a significant number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $40,502 and an average water depth of 2.8 feet. Zone V also shows a high average payout of $46,424, though with a lower average water depth of 1.5 feet. Properties in coastal areas, sound-side locations, and those in lower-lying zones like A and V should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Craven County, North Carolina has recorded 38 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 32 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1968–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2019 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2018 |
| Hurricane Matthew | Hurricane | Oct 4, 2016 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 10, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 8, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Sep 22, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 14, 2025
Slow moving thunderstorms produced isolated areas of flash flooding.
Coastal Flood — Oct 10, 2025
The combination of a strong coastal storm and king tides produced moderate to major coastal flooding across parts of coastal Eastern NC. Sound side areas of the southern Pamlico Sound and Neuse River experienced coastal flooding due to a prolonged duration of strong northeast to east winds. Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands experienced major coastal flooding due to large long periods swells and kin...
Flash Flood — Aug 11, 2024
Slow moving thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding.
Tropical Storm — Aug 8, 2024
After making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 5, Debby weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly moved across southeastern Georgia and offshore. Tropical Storm Debby then came ashore in South Carolina after stalling off the southeast coast for several days. Debby gradually progressed northward through central North Carolina and eventually into souther...
Flash Flood — Jul 6, 2024
Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rain and some flash flooding in the New Bern area.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Craven County, North Carolina:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Craven County, North Carolina that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.