Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station · Photo: Jasonspsyche · CC BY-SA 3.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Kitty Hawk than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kitty Hawk gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, #269 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (86%). Flood insurance has paid 1,608 claims here since 1989.
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 Kitty Hawk’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Kitty Hawk 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 Kitty Hawk’s grade
Hurricanes are 86% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kitty Hawk, and Kitty Hawk’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 4%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #269 of 290 in North Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Kitty Hawk’s residents live in 2 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, Kitty Hawk has more expected damage per building than 93% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.6M a year in losses across Kitty Hawk: $6.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kitty Hawk flood? Yes: 1,608 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kitty Hawk, from FEMA’s records: 499.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Isabel409 claims · $6.9M
- Hurricane Sandy346 claims · $5.0M
- The “Halloween” storm172 claims · $1.1M
Kitty Hawk is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Dare County.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kitty Hawk
Disasters that paid out in Kitty Hawk itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Kitty Hawk), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$204K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2018Tropical Storm Michael$55K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs
- 2018Hurricane Florence$36K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs
- 2016Hurricane Matthew59 households applied for aid$36K aid approved$230K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs36 flood claims paid for it, $233K
- 2011Hurricane Irene363 households applied for aid$540K aid approved$239K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs172 flood claims paid for it, $2.5M
- 2010Hurricane Earl$11K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs
Show all 9
- 2005Hurricane Ophelia$4K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
- 2003Hurricane Isabel192 households applied for aid$133K aid approved$2.2M to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs409 flood claims paid for it, $6.9M
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$96K to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs69 flood claims paid that year
Dare 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 Kitty Hawk after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kitty Hawk archive →Kitty Hawk and its neighbors
Kitty Hawk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1,308 |
| Kitty Hawk | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1,608 |
| Southern Shores | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 170 |
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 Kitty Hawk 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.
- Kitty Hawk residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Kitty Hawk
Is Kitty Hawk at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kitty Hawk has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #269 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (86%) and river and rain flooding (8%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Kitty Hawk flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1,608 claims in Kitty Hawk since 1989, $20.2M in all, or 499.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 293 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Isabel (409).
Is Kitty Hawk 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 Dare County, 84% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 39.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Kitty Hawk?
Kitty Hawk is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6), which takes 20% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Kitty Hawk?
By FEMA money that reached Kitty Hawk, Hurricane Isabel (2003): 192 households applied for aid, $133K approved, and $2.2M to the Town of Kitty Hawk for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Isabel: 409 paid, $6.9M.
Is Kitty Hawk at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (86%), and Kitty Hawk’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kitty Hawk.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kitty Hawk’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.