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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Atkinson · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Atkinson

Atkinson isn’t graded for hazard risk: Atkinson has 485 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 22 declared for Pender County
By hazard

What Atkinson faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

68%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

River and rain flooding

26%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Earthquakes Ice storms Strong wind Hail Winter storms Coastal flooding Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Atkinson flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Atkinson. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Atkinson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pender County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2homes raised above flood level
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Atkinson

Disasters that paid out in Atkinson itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Atkinson), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2018Hurricane Florence254 households applied for aid$636K aid approved$61K to the Town of Atkinson for repairs
  2. 2016Hurricane Matthew103 households applied for aid$521K aid approved$4K to the Town of Atkinson for repairs
  3. 2011Hurricane Irene14 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$2K to the Town of Atkinson for repairs
  4. 2003Hurricane Isabel28 households applied for aid$15K aid approved
  5. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$68K to the Town of Atkinson for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AtkinsonPender County only

Pender County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Atkinson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Atkinson archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Atkinson faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Atkinson

Is Atkinson in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Pender County, 68% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 16.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Atkinson?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Atkinson’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Atkinson?

By FEMA money that reached Atkinson, Hurricane Florence (2018): 254 households applied for aid, $636K approved, and $61K to the Town of Atkinson for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Atkinson.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Atkinson’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.