25 flood insurance claims·$318,208 paid·5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Richmond County, 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.
Flash flooding and tropical weather systems dominate the flood risk profile in Richmond County, based on NOAA storm event data recording 20 flash flood events, 4 tropical storm events, 4 hurricanes, and 4 general flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent historic events illustrate this pattern. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian brought heavy rainfall and widespread tropical storm-force wind gusts and power outages to the region. Subsequently, in August 2024, Tropical Depression Debby dropped widespread 4 to 6 inch rainfall amounts across the area from feeder bands, resulting in flash flooding and tornadoes.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, indicating that risks extend beyond primary high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 14 claims with an average payout of $18,833 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X records 10 claims with an average payout of $20,878 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone V lists 1 claim with an average payout of $524 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and property buyers in designated high-risk zones, as well as properties experiencing localized flash flooding during major tropical systems, should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 4 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2008, with 6 claims and $73,554 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
12 NOAA storm reports from Richmond County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Carolina flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Sep 1, 2019 |
| Hurricane Florence | Sep 7, 2018 |
| Hurricane Matthew | Oct 4, 2016 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
32 since 1996: 20 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | $5,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Sep 17, 2018 | $21.8M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 13, 2018 | $1.0M |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 11, 2018 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 8, 2024. Tropical Depression Debby slowly made its way through Florida, off the South Carolina coast, then back inland through the western Piedmont of North Carolina during the evening hours of 8 August 2024. Ahead of the storm, numerous feeder bands brought periods of heavy rain to central North Carolina, resulting in widespread 4-6 inch rainfall amounts across the western Piedmont, with higher amounts to the east. In add…
Tropical Storm · Sep 30, 2022. Hurricane Ian made landfall along the South Carolina coast near Georgetown during the early afternoon hours of September 30, 2022. Widespread wind gusts over tropical storm force and heavy rainfall occurred across much of central North Carolina through the afternoon and evening hours. There were numerous reports of wind damage and power outages as a result of the storm.
Flash Flood · Nov 12, 2020. Moisture from Tropical Storm Eta was drawn northward into the Mid Atlantic during the day of Wednesday November 11th. Meanwhile, a slow moving cold front approached the area and made its way through central North Carolina during the day Thursday, resulting in widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms. Rainfall totals were generally in the 4 to 6 inches range, although some spots near Rocky Mount saw close to 1…
Flood · Sep 17, 2018. A ridge of high pressure over eastern North America stalled Florence's forward motion a few miles off the southeast North Carolina coast on September 13th. Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach early on Saturday September 15, and weakened further as it moved slowly inland. Despite making landfall as a weakened|Category 1 hurricane, Florence still produced 40 to 70 mph wind gusts, enough wind sp…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Richmond County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.