Natural Disasters in Burlington, NC
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
93.4
Relatively Moderate
Expected Annual Loss
93.3
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
42.8
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
56.4
Score (0-100)
Top Hazard Risks
| Hazard | Risk Score |
|---|---|
| Ice Storm | 96.7 |
| Winter Weather | 96.0 |
| Lightning | 94.2 |
| Hail | 92.2 |
| Hurricane | 90.3 |
| Tornado | 88.7 |
| Cold Wave | 88.5 |
| Earthquake | 87.8 |
| Heat Wave | 87.0 |
| Strong Wind | 69.0 |
| Drought | 67.7 |
| Landslide | 62.9 |
| Wildfire | 43.8 |
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster Declarations
Source: FEMA OpenFEMATotal Declarations
27
Most Recent
Winter Storm
Jan 2026
Most Common Type
Hurricane
12 declarations
| Date | Type | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Aug 6, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 |
| Sep 3, 2019 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DORIAN |
| Sep 14, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE |
| Sep 10, 2018 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLORENCE |
| May 8, 2018 | Severe Storm | TORNADO AND SEVERE STORMS |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Hurricane | HURRICANE MATTHEW |
| Mar 31, 2014 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION |
| Sep 18, 2004 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IVAN |
| Mar 27, 2003 | Severe Ice Storm | ICE STORM |
| Dec 12, 2002 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE ICE STORM |
| Jan 31, 2000 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS |
| Sep 15, 1999 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FLOYD EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS |
| Sep 6, 1996 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FRAN |
Showing 20 of 27 declarations
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
680
Total Claims Paid
$9,376,915
Avg Claim Payout
$13,790
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Disaster Recovery Spending
Source: FEMA Public AssistanceTotal Federal Spending
$92,895,456
Disasters with PA
8
Total Projects
196
| Disaster | Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4487 | Biological | 92 | $80,286,061 |
| DR-4167 | Severe Ice Storm | 29 | $5,648,749 |
| DR-1448 | Severe Ice Storm | 30 | $2,587,953 |
| DR-1457 | Severe Ice Storm | 21 | $2,143,763 |
| DR-4393 | Hurricane | 10 | $1,717,275 |
| DR-1312 | Severe Storm(s) | 10 | $340,573 |
| DR-3222 | Hurricane | 1 | $148,954 |
| DR-1292 | Hurricane | 3 | $22,129 |
Hazard Mitigation
Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation AssistanceMitigation Projects
5
Federal Funding
$598,794
Properties Protected
1
Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio
1.43
BCR
Top Mitigation Project Types
| Project Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|
| 601.1: Generators | 2 | $213,686 |
| 200.1: Acquisition of Private Real Property (Structures and Land) - Riverine | 1 | $81,549 |
| 401.1: Water and Sanitary Sewer System Protective Measures | 1 | $303,559 |
| 200.3: Acquisition of Public Real Property (Structures and Land) - Riverine | 1 | $0 |
Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.
Burlington has a relatively moderate overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are ice storm, winter weather, lightning. The area has had 27 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (12 declarations). 680 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $92,895,456 in public assistance recovery funding. 5 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.