State disaster-history atlas

North Carolina disaster history

Compare federal administrative declarations and NOAA county-coded observed-event reports across 100 North Carolina county equivalents. The source-specific distributions and medians below use the statewide official-source datasets, with 1 detailed county profile available to explore.

Data updated Aug 21, 2026

Counts are historical context, not risk scores

FEMA and NOAA records answer different questions, so they are never summed or ranked as danger. These pages do not predict future events or describe current conditions. For current information, use the live dashboard and follow official local instructions.

State baselines by official source

Each median is calculated across every county equivalent using the same source, unit, and coverage period as its linked county profile. Category totals describe records, not severity or losses.

Administrative records

FEMA declaration distribution

OpenFEMA county-designation records show where federal disaster declarations included a county. A single declaration can designate many counties, and declaration decisions do not inventory every physical event.

County median: 24
County sample size: 100
Statewide county records: 2,403

Statewide category distribution
Category	Records	Share of this source
Hurricane	1,295	53.9%
Winter storm	376	15.6%
Tropical storm	226	9.4%
Biological	200	8.3%
Severe storm	141	5.9%
Flood	60	2.5%
Drought	49	2%
Tornado	42	1.7%
Wildfire	14	0.6%

Coverage: Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026
Source updated: Aug 20, 2026
Retrieved by HazardNow: Aug 21, 2026
Completeness for stated rules: complete

Observed-event reports

NOAA observed-event distribution

NOAA Storm Events totals include distinct county-coded records in the comparable all-event era beginning in 1996. Forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded from county totals.

County median: 323
County sample size: 100
Statewide county records: 32,991

Statewide category distribution
Category	Records	Share of this source
High wind	16,969	51.4%
Hail	8,229	24.9%
Flood	4,934	15%
Tornado	1,152	3.5%
Severe storm	817	2.5%
Lightning	811	2.5%
Landslide	35	0.1%
Marine	18	0.1%
Coastal storm	7	0%
Other	7	0%
Wildfire	6	0%
Winter storm	4	0%
Tropical storm	2	0%

Coverage: Jan 1, 1996 – May 30, 2026
Source updated: Aug 19, 2026
Retrieved by HazardNow: Aug 21, 2026
Completeness for stated rules: partial

County profile previews

Preview county record totals and seasonal context here, or use the full directory above. Every profile includes monthly NOAA seasonality, representative records, same-source comparisons, preparedness implications, print and sharing tools, and source disclosures.

County FIPS 37183

Wake County

Unique FEMA declarations: 26
NOAA county-event records: 1,335

NOAA’s largest monthly record count for this profile is 314 in July. That reporting pattern is historical context, not a seasonal forecast.

Explore Wake County disaster history

How to read this state atlas

Compare like with like

Compare FEMA declarations only with FEMA declarations, and NOAA county-event records only with NOAA county-event records. Coverage periods must match.

Interpret the median carefully

A county above or below the state median has a different historical record count. That does not establish greater or lower future risk.

Expect reporting limitations

Administrative policy and observation practices change. NOAA finalized records also lag recent event months, and zone-coded events are excluded from county totals.

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