Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Leland

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Welcome to the Town of Leland, North Carolina - panoramioPhoto: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Leland · FEMA

FEMA puts Leland’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 97% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Leland gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns, #248 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (75%), then river and rain flooding (20%). Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 1999.

Hurricanes 75%River and rain flooding 20%Tornadoes 2%

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

more than 97%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#248 of 290 in North Carolina
Hazard risk
D−#248 of 290
in North Carolina · higher than 97% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
75% of expected building damage
Flood claims
58
paid since 1999 · $5.9M
Flooded more than once
11
properties · 2 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
15% off
Community discount (class 7)

What stands out about Leland’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

15% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns Leland residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7).Hurricanes: the top 1% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for hurricanes here ranks in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts; it is 75.3% of the damage it expects.Moved out of harm’s way23 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 201833 flood claims were paid for 2018 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Leland faces

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

Hurricanes

75%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

River and rain flooding

20%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Earthquakes Coastal flooding top 5% Ice storms Lightning Hail Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Leland’s grade

Hurricanes are 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Leland, and Leland’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 1%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Leland sits
Leland
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− #248 of 290 in North Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Leland’s residents live in 9 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes75%River and rain flooding20%Everything else5%

The typical North Carolina town has lower expected damage than 51% of U.S. towns; within the state, Leland has more expected damage per building than 85% of North Carolina towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $20.7M a year in losses across Leland: $18.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Florence in 2018, FEMA took 3,249 aid registrations from Leland addresses (the town has 14,045 homes) and flood insurance paid 33 claims for $3.2M.
A firm figure. It combines 9 census tracts by where Leland’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Leland flood? Sometimes: 58 flood claims since 1999

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Leland, from FEMA’s records: 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1999: 1 claim2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 33 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 1 claim2024: 22 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199920182024
19992026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Florence33 claims · $3.2M
  • Tropical Cyclone Eight20 claims · $2.7M
  • Hurricane Debby2 claims · $34K
58
paid claims since 1999
$5.9M
paid to owners
11
homes flooded more than once
$102K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount15% off flood insurance

Leland is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Brunswick County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
23flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Leland

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Isaias$28K to the Town of Leland for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2019Hurricane Dorian$100K to the Town of Leland for repairs
  3. 2018Hurricane Florence3,249 households applied for aid$2.6M aid approved$1.8M to the Town of Leland for repairs33 flood claims paid for it, $3.2M
  4. 2016Hurricane Matthew248 households applied for aid$92K aid approved
  5. 2011Hurricane Irene103 households applied for aid$49K aid approved
  6. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-line Winds153 households applied for aid$131K aid approved
Show all 8
  1. 2008Tropical Storm Hanna$11K to the Town of Leland for repairs
  2. 2003Hurricane Isabel343 households applied for aid$293K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LelandBrunswick County only

Brunswick County has had 25 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Brunswick County, 2025–2025.

Were you here?

Old photos of Leland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Leland archive →
Next door

Leland and its neighbors

Leland is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Navassa: hazard risk D−Belville: hazard risk D−NavassaBelvilleLeland
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
BelvilleD−more damage than 96%hurricanes3
LelandD−more damage than 97%hurricanes58
NavassaD−more damage than 97%hurricanes4

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Leland 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.
  • Leland residents get 15% off flood insurance.
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 Leland

Is Leland at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Leland has higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #248 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (75%) and river and rain flooding (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Leland flood?

Flood insurance has paid 58 claims in Leland since 1999, $5.9M in all, or 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 11 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Florence (33).

Is Leland 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 Brunswick County, 78% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 21.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Leland?

Leland is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% 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 Leland?

By FEMA money that reached Leland, Hurricane Florence (2018): 3,249 households applied for aid, $2.6M approved, and $1.8M to the Town of Leland for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Florence: 33 paid, $3.2M.

Is Leland at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Leland’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Leland.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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