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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Bolton · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Bolton

Bolton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Bolton has 504 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2020.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2020 · $28K
Disasters paid out here
6
of 21 declared for Columbus County
By hazard

What Bolton faces

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

Hurricanes

64%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

River and rain flooding

24%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind top 2% Tornadoes Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Hail Lightning Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bolton flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2020

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bolton, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2020
20202026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Isaias1 claim · $28K
1
paid claims since 2020
$28K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$28K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Columbus County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1home raised above flood level
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bolton

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

  1. 2018Hurricane Florence311 households applied for aid$224K aid approved$31K to the Town of Bolton for repairs
  2. 2016Hurricane Matthew188 households applied for aid$39K aid approved$41K to the Town of Bolton for repairs
  3. 2011Hurricane Irene31 households applied for aid$7K aid approved$21K to the Town of Bolton for repairs
  4. 2004Tropical Storm Frances96 households applied for aid$150K aid approved
  5. 2003Hurricane Isabel134 households applied for aid$96K aid approved
  6. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$32K to the Town of Bolton for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BoltonColumbus County only

Columbus County has had 21 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 Bolton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Bolton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Bolton 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 Bolton

Does Bolton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Bolton since 2020, $28K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Isaias (1).

Is Bolton 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 Columbus County, 33% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Bolton?

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

By FEMA money that reached Bolton, Hurricane Florence (2018): 311 households applied for aid, $224K approved, and $31K to the Town of Bolton for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Isaias: 1 paid, $28K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bolton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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