States › North Carolina › Columbus County
Columbus County, North Carolina
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 629 events for Columbus County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 67.0 events per 100 square miles, below the North Carolina figure of 112.5, and 125.6 per 10,000 residents against 51.8 statewide.
13 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 14 deaths and 79 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $162M and crop damage at $56M.
FEMA has designated the county in 29 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm (emergency, 24 Jan 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 712 claims since 1978, of which 616 were paid, totalling $25M (about $41K per paid claim). FEMA counts 473 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($42M a year across 18 hazards).
132 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 15 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with North Carolina and the United States
| Measure | Columbus County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 629 | 54,696 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 67.0 | 112.5 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 125.6 | 51.8 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 13 | 1,437 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 14 | 622 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $162M | $15B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 14.2 | 10.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $41K | $28K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 83.7 | 24.1 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 363 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 213 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov 2006 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $500K | — | 8 | 20 | County |
| 24 Jul 1999 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1999 | Heat | Heat | — | — | — | 1 | 15 | Forecast zone |
| 12 Jul 1996 | High Wind | Wind | 74 mph | $200K | $16M | 1 | 10 | Forecast zone |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $91M | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $30M | $10M | 1 | 1 | County |
| 7 Nov 1995 | Tornado | Tornado | — | $600K | — | — | 12 | County |
| 5 Sep 1996 | High Wind | Wind | 86 mph | $18M | $18M | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 3 May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | $5.0M | — | — | 4 | County |
| 9 Oct 1950 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 3 Mar 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 21 Mar 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 6 Sep 1974 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 3 Jun 2000 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | $20K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 2 Jul 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $1K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 14 Jun 2000 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 14 Aug 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 26 Jul 2023 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 26 Jan 2004 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $6.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 3 May 1994 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | — | $5.0M | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 2026 | EM-3637 | Emergency | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 26 Sep 2024 | EM-3617 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene | Public assistance |
| 6 Aug 2024 | EM-3608 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby | Public assistance |
| 1 Oct 2022 | EM-3586 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian | Public assistance |
| 14 Oct 2020 | DR-4568 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias | Public assistance |
| 2 Aug 2020 | EM-3534 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 2020 | DR-4487 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3471 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 4 Oct 2019 | DR-4465 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian | Public assistance |
| 3 Sep 2019 | EM-3423 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 2018 | DR-4393 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2018 | EM-3401 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence | Public assistance |
| 10 Oct 2016 | DR-4285 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 Oct 2016 | EM-3380 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew | Public assistance |
| 31 Aug 2011 | DR-4019 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 25 Aug 2011 | EM-3327 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | Public assistance |
| 1 Sep 2010 | EM-3314 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 2005 | EM-3254 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Ophelia | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2005 | EM-3222 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2004 | DR-1546 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances | Individual assistance |
| 18 Sep 2003 | DR-1490 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel | Individual assistance |
| 16 Sep 1999 | DR-1292 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 15 Sep 1999 | EM-3146 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations | Public assistance |
| 27 Aug 1998 | DR-1240 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Bonnie | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 6 Sep 1996 | DR-1134 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Jul 1996 | DR-1127 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Bertha | Individual assistance |
| 17 Mar 1993 | EM-3110 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 21 Sep 1984 | DR-724 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Diana | Public assistance |
| 11 Aug 1977 | EM-3049 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | 21 | $1,169,735 | $55,702 |
| 2024 | 19 | 17 | $654,403 | $38,494 |
| 2023 | 34 | 28 | $1,401,034 | $50,037 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | $3,841 | $3,841 |
| 2021 | 4 | 3 | $35,736 | $11,912 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | $37,156 | $18,578 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | $47,232 | $23,616 |
| 2018 | 307 | 288 | $14,855,768 | $51,583 |
| 2016 | 107 | 99 | $4,305,243 | $43,487 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | $50,932 | $10,186 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | $16,335 | $8,168 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | $22,098 | $22,098 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | $8,445 | $4,223 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | $6,089 | $6,089 |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | $1,269 | $635 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | $1,484 | $1,484 |
| 2003 | 5 | 4 | $83,244 | $20,811 |
| 1999 | 117 | 97 | $1,736,892 | $17,906 |
| 1998 | 10 | 4 | $10,492 | $2,623 |
| 1996 | 29 | 18 | $138,703 | $7,706 |
| 1995 | 3 | 2 | $77,761 | $38,880 |
| 1994 | 2 | 1 | $149,250 | $149,250 |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1989 | 11 | 9 | $128,496 | $14,277 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | $22,129,385 | |
| Inland flooding | $6,994,754 | |
| Strong wind | $4,042,912 | |
| Tornado | $2,925,869 | |
| Heat wave | $1,466,981 | |
| Earthquake | $1,402,880 | |
| Lightning | $1,202,245 | |
| Cold wave | $1,086,024 | |
| Ice storm | $289,982 | |
| Wildfire | $213,328 | |
| Winter weather | $167,417 | |
| Hail | $140,875 | |
| Drought | $80,722 | |
| Coastal flooding | $122 | |
| Landslide | $38 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chantal | 2025 | 36 mi | 58 mph |
| Debby | 2024 | 87 mi | 46 mph |
| Idalia | 2023 | 55 mi | 58 mph |
| Ophelia | 2023 | 93 mi | 69 mph |
| Colin | 2022 | 74 mi | 40 mph |
| Ian | 2022 | 39 mi | 81 mph |
| Claudette | 2021 | 57 mi | 46 mph |
| Elsa | 2021 | 88 mi | 52 mph |
| Isaias | 2020 | 26 mi | 92 mph |
| Dorian | 2019 | 73 mi | 104 mph |
| Nestor | 2019 | 64 mi | 46 mph |
| Florence | 2018 | 23 mi | 98 mph |
| Colin | 2016 | 74 mi | 52 mph |
| Hermine | 2016 | 56 mi | 63 mph |
| Matthew | 2016 | 57 mi | 81 mph |
| Ana | 2015 | 27 mi | 52 mph |
| Arthur | 2014 | 79 mi | 98 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 65 mi | 46 mph |
| Beryl | 2012 | 42 mi | 46 mph |
| Cristobal | 2008 | 81 mi | 52 mph |
| Hanna | 2008 | 32 mi | 69 mph |
| Barry | 2007 | 41 mi | 46 mph |
| Ernesto | 2006 | 40 mi | 69 mph |
| Ophelia | 2005 | 70 mi | 86 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 32 mi | 81 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 28472 255
- 28450 210
- 28439 65
- 28463 45
- 28455 30
- 28424 26
- 28431 20
- 28442 19
- 28436 16
- 28432 13
- 28423 12
- 28438 11
- 28456 9
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Columbus County, NC?
NCEI records 179 hail events in Columbus County since 1950, in 39 different years; that is about 2.3 recorded events a year. 34 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Columbus County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 34 tornadoes in Columbus County since 1950, 6 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 8.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Columbus County?
24 Jan 2026: Severe Winter Storm, a emergency declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 29 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Columbus County, and how much was paid?
712 NFIP claims since 1978, 616 of them paid, for $25M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Columbus County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Very High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Columbus County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
67.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 112.5 statewide, and 14.2 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 10.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.