FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Shell Point than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Shell Point gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (85%). Flood insurance has paid 39 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 Shell Point’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Shell Point 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 Shell Point’s grade
Hurricanes are 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in Shell Point, and Shell Point’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 3%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Shell Point’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Shell Point: $1.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Shell Point flood? Sometimes: 39 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Shell Point, from FEMA’s records: 47.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 92% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Matthew12 claims · $133K
- Hurricane Irma6 claims · $182K
- Hurricane Hugo1 claim · $1K
Shell Point 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 Shell Point remembers
None of the 14 disasters declared for Beaufort County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Shell Point itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201612 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Matthew, declared for Beaufort County
- 20179 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for Beaufort County
- 19947 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Beaufort County has had 14 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 Shell Point after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Shell Point archive →Shell Point and its neighbors
Shell Point is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | — |
| Port Royal | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 3 |
| Shell Point | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 39 |
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 Shell Point 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 Shell Point
Is Shell Point at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Shell Point has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (85%) and river and rain flooding (7%). 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 Shell Point flood?
Flood insurance has paid 39 claims in Shell Point since 1980, $409K in all, or 47.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 92% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (12).
Is Shell Point 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, 39.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Shell Point?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Shell Point’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 Shell Point?
By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 12 paid, $133K.
Is Shell Point at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and Shell Point’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Shell Point.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Shell Point’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.