Photo: James Willamor · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Nags Head than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nags Head gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #273 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (85%). Flood insurance has paid 2,116 claims here since 1980.
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 Nags Head’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Nags Head 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
Coastal 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 Nags Head’s grade
Hurricanes are 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in Nags Head, and Nags Head’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 5%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #273 of 290 in North Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Nags Head’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical North Carolina town has lower expected damage than 51% of U.S. towns; within the state, Nags Head has more expected damage per building than 94% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $12.8M a year in losses across Nags Head: $12.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Nags Head flood? Yes: 2,116 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Nags Head, from FEMA’s records: 401.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Isabel341 claims · $6.9M
- Hurricane Irene187 claims · $3.5M
- The “Halloween” storm182 claims · $2.4M
Nags Head is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Dare County.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Nags Head
Disasters that paid out in Nags Head itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Nags Head), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$9.4M to the Town of Nags Head for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
- 2018Tropical Storm Michael$25K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs
- 2018Hurricane Florence$12K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs
- 2016Hurricane Matthew110 households applied for aid$89K aid approved$12.3M to the Town of Nags Head for repairs107 flood claims paid for it, $1.8M
- 2011Hurricane Irene133 households applied for aid$158K aid approved$289K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs187 flood claims paid for it, $3.5M
- 2010Hurricane Earl$11K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs20 flood claims paid that year
Show all 10
- 2005Hurricane Ophelia$4K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs28 flood claims paid that year
- 2003Hurricane Isabel80 households applied for aid$22K aid approved$5.4M to the Town of Nags Head for repairs341 flood claims paid for it, $6.9M
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$151K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Dennis$238K to the Town of Nags Head for repairs134 flood claims paid for it, $2.0M
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 Nags Head after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Nags Head archive →Nags Head and its neighbors
Nags Head 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1,308 |
| Nags Head | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 2,116 |
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 Nags Head 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.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- 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.
- Nags Head residents get 25% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Nags Head
Is Nags Head at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nags Head has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #273 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (85%) and river and rain flooding (9%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Nags Head flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2,116 claims in Nags Head since 1980, $33.2M in all, or 401.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 191 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Isabel (341).
Is Nags Head 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 Nags Head?
Nags Head is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5), which takes 25% 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 Nags Head?
By FEMA money that reached Nags Head, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 110 households applied for aid, $89K approved, and $12.3M to the Town of Nags Head for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Isabel: 341 paid, $6.9M.
Is Nags Head at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and Nags Head’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Nags Head.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Nags Head’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.