Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Red Oak as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Red Oak gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns, #157 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then hurricanes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2006.
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 Red Oak faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
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 Red Oak’s grade
River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Red Oak, and Red Oak’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 18% (higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts).
B− #157 of 290 in North Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Red Oak’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, Red Oak has more expected damage per building than 54% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Red Oak: $740K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Red Oak flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2006
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Red Oak, from FEMA’s records: 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Matthew2 claims · $49K
- Tropical Storm Ernesto1 claim · $678
Red Oak isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Nash County.The storms Red Oak remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Nash County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Red Oak itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20162 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Matthew, declared for Nash County
- 20061 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20201 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Isaias, declared for Nash County
Nash County has had 22 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 Red Oak after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Red Oak archive →Red Oak and its neighbors
Red Oak 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dortches | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Red Oak | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
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 Red Oak faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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 Red Oak
Is Red Oak at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Red Oak has higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #157 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and hurricanes (18%). 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 Red Oak flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Red Oak since 2006, $77K in all, or 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (2).
Is Red Oak 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 Nash County, 49% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Red Oak?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Red Oak’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 Red Oak?
By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 2 paid, $49K.
Is Red Oak at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Red Oak’s rate for it is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Red Oak.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Red Oak’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.