Photo: Jdcollins13 · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Sneads Ferry, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sneads Ferry gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #277 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (88%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2018.
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 Sneads Ferry’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Sneads Ferry 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 Sneads Ferry’s grade
Hurricanes are 88% of the building damage FEMA expects in Sneads Ferry, and Sneads Ferry’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 2%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #277 of 290 in North Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Sneads Ferry’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, Sneads Ferry has more expected damage per building than 96% of North Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.8M a year in losses across Sneads Ferry: $2.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Sneads Ferry flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 2018
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sneads Ferry, from FEMA’s records: 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Florence6 claims · $122K
Sneads Ferry isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Onslow County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Sneads Ferry
Disasters that paid out in Sneads Ferry itself (aid to households or repair grants to Sneads Ferry), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2018Hurricane Florence1,129 households applied for aid$439K aid approved6 flood claims paid for it, $122K
- 2016Hurricane Matthew18 households applied for aid$18K aid approved
- 2011Hurricane Irene44 households applied for aid$21K aid approved
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-line Winds18 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
- 2003Hurricane Isabel23 households applied for aid$35K aid approved
Onslow County has had 21 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 Sneads Ferry after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sneads Ferry archive →Sneads Ferry and its neighbors
Sneads Ferry has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sneads Ferry | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 6 |
| North Topsail Beach | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 1,073 |
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 Sneads Ferry 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Sneads Ferry
Is Sneads Ferry at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sneads Ferry has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #277 of 290 in North Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (88%) and river and rain flooding (8%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Sneads Ferry flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Sneads Ferry since 2018, $122K in all, or 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Florence (6).
Is Sneads Ferry 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 Onslow County, 73% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sneads Ferry?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sneads Ferry’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 Sneads Ferry?
By FEMA money that reached Sneads Ferry, Hurricane Florence (2018): 1,129 households applied for aid, $439K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Florence: 6 paid, $122K.
Is Sneads Ferry at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (88%), and Sneads Ferry’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sneads Ferry.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sneads Ferry’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.