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Tyrrell County, North Carolina

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
81st of 100highest risk in North Carolina
$9Mexpected losses a year
23federal declarations
1 in 6homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Tyrrell County, North Carolina has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 54% of US counties. It ranks 81st of 100 counties in North Carolina. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and coastal flooding. FEMA estimates about $9.2 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $2,847 per resident. Since 1998 it has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (9 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 6 homes here carry federal flood insurance (423 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $9.0 million on 588 claims here, including $4.2 million for floods in 2011.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Tyrrell County

Hurricane

Moderate
$7.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$730,574 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 15 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$634,972 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Learn your evacuation zone; it is set by surge risk, not by distance from the beach.
  • Ask about flood insurance even outside a mapped high-risk zone.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneModerate92.1
$7M
Inland floodingVery Low8.5
$731K
Coastal floodingModerate68.8
$635K
TornadoVery Low21.4
$168K
Strong windVery Low16.8
$92K
Heat waveVery Low27.9
$76K
Cold waveVery Low11.9
$68K
LightningLow26.1
$59K
WildfireVery Low57.2
$45K
HailVery Low16.0
$35K
Winter weatherLow42.5
$31K
EarthquakeVery Low19.0
$17K
DroughtVery Low28.3
$12K
Ice stormVery Low15.7
$6K
LandslideVery Low3.2
$2

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very high and community resilience is relatively moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Tyrrell County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane17
Severe Storm2
Tropical Storm2
Fire1
Winter Storm1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Aug 6, 2024Tropical Storm DebbyEmergency
Oct 1, 2022Hurricane IanEmergency
Aug 2, 2020Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Oct 4, 2019Hurricane DorianMajor disaster
Sep 3, 2019Hurricane DorianEmergency
Sep 14, 2018Hurricane FlorenceMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2018Hurricane FlorenceEmergency
Oct 10, 2016Hurricane MatthewMajor disaster
Show all 23
Oct 7, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
Aug 31, 2011Hurricane IreneMajor disaster
Aug 25, 2011Hurricane IreneEmergency
Apr 19, 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 14, 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Sep 1, 2010Hurricane EarlEmergency
Jun 13, 2008Evans Road FireFire management
Sep 14, 2005Hurricane OpheliaEmergency
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 18, 2003Hurricane IsabelMajor disaster
Sep 16, 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster DeclarationsMajor disaster
Sep 15, 1999Hurricane Floyd Emergency DeclarationsEmergency
Aug 27, 1998Hurricane BonnieMajor disaster

North Carolina also had 22 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1975

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 87 storm reports in Tyrrell County since 1975, with 4 deaths and 3 injuries and about $1.6 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on May 16, 1983.

14tornadoes
23hail reports, largest 2 inches
46damaging thunderstorm winds
2floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
May 16, 1983F2–0 / 0
Nov 17, 1988F2–0 / 0
Aug 26, 2011EF2Columbia0 / 0
Apr 16, 2011EF1Jerry0 / 0
Jun 26, 1989F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 16, 2011TornadoJerry$400K
May 16, 1983Tornado–$250K
Nov 17, 1988Tornado–$250K
Jun 26, 1989Tornado–$250K
Aug 26, 2011TornadoColumbia$150K
Jun 4, 2004TornadoColumbia$75K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 14, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1851, 29 hurricanes and 45 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Tyrrell County, 35 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1899, with top winds near 120 mph about 59 miles away.

29hurricanes
3major hurricanes (Category 3+)
45tropical storms
2023most recent: Ophelia

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 17, 1899UnnamedCategory 3, 120 mph59 mi
Sep 14, 1944UnnamedCategory 3, 115 mph63 mi
Aug 18, 1879UnnamedCategory 3, 110 mph32 mi
Sep 27, 1985GloriaCategory 2, 105 mph56 mi
Sep 16, 1933UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph63 mi
Oct 23, 1878UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph59 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 23, 2023OpheliaTropical storm, 50 mph65 mi
Jun 21, 2021ClaudetteTropical storm, 45 mph43 mi
Sep 6, 2019DorianCategory 2, 100 mph59 mi
Sep 3, 2016HermineTropical storm, 65 mph53 mi
Jul 4, 2014ArthurCategory 2, 100 mph61 mi
Aug 27, 2011IreneCategory 1, 80 mph56 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Tyrrell County

Check your address flood zone ›
16.6%of homes have federal flood insurance (423 policies)
18.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$9 millionpaid on 588 flood claims since 1978
2011costliest year, with $4.2 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Tyrrell County

$164,500median home value (North Carolina $288,900, US $332,700)
1979median year homes were built (North Carolina 1991, US 1980)
51%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
28.8%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 2,229 housing units.

Compare in North Carolina

All 100 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Wake CountyHighInland flooding
Mecklenburg CountyHighInland flooding
Guilford CountyModerateInland flooding
Forsyth CountyModerateInland flooding
Cumberland CountyModerateInland flooding
Durham CountyModerateInland flooding
Buncombe CountyModerateInland flooding
Union CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Pasquotank CountyLow21
Dare CountyModerate29
Currituck CountyVery Low22
Perquimans CountyVery Low22
Washington CountyLow22
Camden CountyVery Low21
Hyde CountyLow30

Common questions about Tyrrell County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Tyrrell County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Tyrrell County, about $7.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $730,574.

How many federal disasters has Tyrrell County had?

Tyrrell County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1998, including 9 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Tyrrell County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 81st highest of 100 in North Carolina. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Tyrrell County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 6 homes in Tyrrell County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Tyrrell County had?

NOAA records list 14 tornadoes in Tyrrell County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on May 16, 1983. The weather service has also logged 23 hail reports and 2 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Tyrrell County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 29 hurricanes and 45 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Tyrrell County, including 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1899, with winds near 120 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.