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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Brunswick · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Brunswick

Brunswick isn’t graded for hazard risk: Brunswick has 937 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2023 · $41K
Disasters paid out here
6
of 21 declared for Columbus County
By hazard

What Brunswick faces

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

Hurricanes

71%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

16%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind top 2% Tornadoes Earthquakes Ice storms Hail Wildfire 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 Brunswick flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2023

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2023: 1 claim2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2023
20232026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Idalia1 claim · $41K
1
paid claims since 2023
$41K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$41K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Brunswick 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.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brunswick

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

  1. 2018Hurricane Florence29 households applied for aid$27K aid approved$14K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
  2. 2016Hurricane Matthew22 households applied for aid$42K aid approved$18K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
  3. 2011Hurricane Irene8 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  4. 2004Tropical Storm Frances26 households applied for aid$20K aid approved
  5. 2003Hurricane Isabel36 households applied for aid$39K aid approved
  6. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$4K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BrunswickColumbus 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 Brunswick after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Brunswick archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Brunswick 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 Brunswick

Does Brunswick flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Brunswick since 2023, $41K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Idalia (1).

Is Brunswick 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 Brunswick?

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

By FEMA money that reached Brunswick, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 22 households applied for aid, $42K approved, and $18K to the Town of Brunswick for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Idalia: 1 paid, $41K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brunswick.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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