Zion Episcopal Church · Photo: Tradewinds · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in River Road than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, River Road gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, #266 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (77%), then river and rain flooding (13%). Flood insurance has paid 1,695 claims here since 1985.
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 River Road’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What River Road 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 River Road’s grade
Hurricanes are 77% of the building damage FEMA expects in River Road, and River Road’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 6%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #266 of 290 in North Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of River Road’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, River Road has more expected damage per building than 92% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.6M a year in losses across River Road: $3.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does River Road flood? Yes: 1,695 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in River Road, from FEMA’s records: 793.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Dennis334 claims · $6.9M
- Hurricane Irene260 claims · $5.1M
- Hurricane Florence243 claims · $6.3M
River Road isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Beaufort County.The storms River Road remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Beaufort County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching River Road itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 1999446 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, declared for Beaufort County
- 1996315 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Fran, declared for Beaufort County
- 2011260 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irene, declared for Beaufort County
Beaufort County has had 23 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 River Road after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the River Road archive →River Road and its neighbors
River Road has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Road | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1,695 |
| Washington Park | — | 456 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 River Road 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in River Road
Is River Road at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, River Road has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #266 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (77%) and river and rain flooding (13%). 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 River Road flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1,695 claims in River Road since 1985, $28.1M in all, or 793.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Dennis (334).
Is River Road 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 Beaufort County, 56% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 13.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in River Road?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for River Road’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 River Road?
By flood claims, Hurricane Dennis: 334 paid, $6.9M.
Is River Road at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (77%), and River Road’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in River Road.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where River Road’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.