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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Atlantic · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Atlantic

Atlantic isn’t graded for hazard risk: Atlantic has 522 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 20 declared for Carteret County
By hazard

What Atlantic faces

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

Hurricanes

89%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 River and rain flooding Coastal flooding top 1% Wildfire top 4% Tornadoes Earthquakes Winter storms Hail Strong wind Ice storms 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. 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.

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

Does Atlantic flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Atlantic. 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

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

Insurance rates: Carteret County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Atlantic

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

  1. 2018Hurricane Florence49 households applied for aid$38K aid approved
  2. 2016Hurricane Matthew2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  3. 2011Hurricane Irene37 households applied for aid$42K aid approved
  4. 2003Hurricane Isabel92 households applied for aid$206K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AtlanticCarteret County only

Carteret County has had 20 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 Atlantic after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Atlantic archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Atlantic 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 ↗
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 Atlantic

Is Atlantic 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 Carteret County, 52% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 21.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Atlantic?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Atlantic’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 Atlantic?

By FEMA money that reached Atlantic, Hurricane Isabel (2003): 92 households applied for aid, $206K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Atlantic.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Atlantic’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.