Bracebridge Hall · Photo: Marie Sharpe Ham, Debra A. Blake, C. Edward Morris · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Half Moon, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Half Moon gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #283 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (81%), then river and rain flooding (17%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2018.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Half Moon faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Half Moon’s grade
Hurricanes are 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Half Moon, and Half Moon’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 17% (higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #283 of 290 in North Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Half Moon’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical North Carolina town has lower expected damage than 51% of U.S. towns; within the state, Half Moon has more expected damage per building than 98% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.1M a year in losses across Half Moon: $5.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Half Moon flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 2018
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Half Moon, from FEMA’s records: 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Florence5 claims · $459K
- Hurricane Debby1 claim · $6K
Half Moon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Onslow County.The storms Half Moon remembers
None of the 21 disasters declared for Onslow County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Half Moon itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20185 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Florence, declared for Onslow County
- 20241 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Helene, declared for Onslow County
Onslow County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Half Moon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Half Moon archive →Half Moon and its neighbors
Half Moon is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 222 |
| Half Moon | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 6 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Half Moon faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Half Moon
Is Half Moon at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Half Moon has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #283 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (81%) and river and rain flooding (17%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Half Moon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Half Moon since 2018, $465K in all, or 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Florence (5).
Is Half Moon 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 Onslow County, 73% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Half Moon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Half Moon’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 Half Moon?
By flood claims, Hurricane Florence: 5 paid, $459K.
Is Half Moon at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Half Moon’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Half Moon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Half Moon’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.