Mount Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church · Photo: Cecouchman · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than James City, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, James City gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #270 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (87%). Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1996.
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 stands out about James City’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What James City 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 James City’s grade
Hurricanes are 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in James City, and James City’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 10% (lower than 79% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #270 of 290 in North Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
James City’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, James City has more expected damage per building than 93% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.0M a year in losses across James City: $5.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does James City flood? Sometimes: 32 flood claims since 1996
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in James City, from FEMA’s records: 13.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Florence19 claims · $1.1M
- Hurricane Floyd3 claims · $18K
- Hurricane Irene2 claims · $20K
James City isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Craven County.The storms James City remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Craven County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching James City itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201819 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Florence, declared for Craven County
- 19993 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, declared for Craven County
- 19962 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Fran, declared for Craven County
Craven 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.
Old photos of James City after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the James City archive →James City and its neighbors
James City is 2nd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bern | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 1,621 |
| James City | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 32 |
| Brices Creek | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | — |
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 James City 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 James City
Is James City at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, James City has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #270 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (87%) and river and rain flooding (10%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does James City flood?
Flood insurance has paid 32 claims in James City since 1996, $1.2M in all, or 13.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Florence (19).
Is James City 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 Craven County, 61% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 11.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in James City?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for James City’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 James City?
By flood claims, Hurricane Florence: 19 paid, $1.1M.
Is James City at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and James City’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in James City.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where James City’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.