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CHazard risk
Natural hazards in Wilson · FEMA

FEMA puts Wilson’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 73% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wilson gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%), then tornadoes (14%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 51%Tornadoes 14%Hail 13%

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 73%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C
in Oklahoma · higher than 73% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
51% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
7
of 24 declared for Carter County
By hazard

What Wilson 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

51%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Hail

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Wildfire

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind top 5% Earthquakes Cold waves top 1% Hurricanes Winter storms Lightning Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 29% of Wilson’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (13.6%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Wilson’s grade

River and rain flooding is 51% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wilson, and Wilson’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 14%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Wilson sits
Wilson
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C higher expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Wilson’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding51%Tornadoes14%Hail13%Everything else23%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $837K a year in losses across Wilson: $379K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Wilson’s 1,399 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Wilson flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wilson. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Wilson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Carter County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
79storm safe rooms built
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wilson

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms5 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  3. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding36 households applied for aid$51K aid approved$83K to the City of Wilson for repairs
  4. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds4 households applied for aid$30K aid approved
  5. 2009Severe Winter Storm$2K to the City of Wilson for repairs
  6. 2009Severe Storms and Tornadoes6 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
Show all 7
  1. 2003Severe Storms and Tornadoes6 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WilsonCarter County only

Carter County has had 24 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Carter County, 2005–2026.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Wilson archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Wilson faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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.
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 Wilson

Is Wilson at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wilson has higher expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%) and tornadoes (14%). 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.

Is Wilson 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 Carter County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Wilson?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wilson’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 Wilson?

By FEMA money that reached Wilson, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2015): 36 households applied for aid, $51K approved, and $83K to the City of Wilson for repairs.

Is Wilson at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (51%), and Wilson’s rate for it is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wilson.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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