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Yadkin County, North Carolina

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

Very Low overall risk
88th of 100highest risk in North Carolina
$10Mexpected losses a year
19federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Yadkin County, North Carolina has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 62% of US counties. It ranks 88th of 100 counties in North Carolina. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $9.6 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $259 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). Only 12 homes here carry federal flood insurance.

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

Top risks in Yadkin County

$5.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • 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.
$912,455 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 9 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
$709,313 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow53.2
$6M
TornadoLow47.5
$912K
Cold waveLow48.2
$709K
Strong windLow51.6
$464K
HurricaneLow68.2
$408K
DroughtModerate69.3
$403K
Ice stormModerate78.8
$298K
EarthquakeVery Low54.8
$286K
HailLow48.0
$194K
LightningLow32.2
$95K
Heat waveVery Low19.7
$47K
Winter weatherLow36.2
$31K
WildfireVery Low17.5
$5K
LandslideVery Low46.3
$869

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 relatively high and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane8
Snowstorm4
Tropical Storm3
Severe Storm2
Drought1
Winter Storm1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 28, 2024Tropical Storm HeleneMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Aug 6, 2024Tropical Storm DebbyEmergency
Oct 1, 2022Hurricane IanEmergency
Mar 3, 2021Tropical Storm EtaMajor disaster
Aug 2, 2020Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
May 8, 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 3, 2019Hurricane DorianEmergency
Jan 31, 2019Tropical Storm MichaelMajor disaster
Show all 19
Sep 10, 2018Hurricane FlorenceEmergency
Oct 7, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 23, 1996Winter StormMajor disaster
Jan 13, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster
Mar 17, 1993Severe Snowfall & Winter StormEmergency
Sep 25, 1989Hurricane HugoMajor disaster
Aug 11, 1977DroughtEmergency
Mar 2, 1977Drought & FreezingEmergency

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

Storm history since 1957

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 337 storm reports in Yadkin County since 1957, with 0 deaths and 8 injuries and about $13 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF2 tornado on May 24, 2017 near Courtney.

10tornadoes
69hail reports, largest 2 inches
210damaging thunderstorm winds
30floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
May 24, 2017EF2Courtney0 / 0
Nov 22, 1992F1–1 / 0
Apr 5, 1957F1–0 / 0
Mar 30, 1960F1–0 / 0
Feb 13, 1966F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 24, 2017TornadoCourtney$10M
Jul 13, 2006Thunderstorm WindCountywide$500K
Oct 11, 2018Flash FloodEnon$500K
Nov 22, 1992Tornado–$250K
Jul 8, 2016Thunderstorm WindWagoner$200K
Jun 13, 2013HailYadkinville$150K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 12, 2025. 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 1859, 1 hurricane and 14 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Yadkin County, 7 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1893, with top winds near 75 mph about 53 miles away.

1hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
14tropical storms
2020most recent: Zeta

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 28, 1893UnnamedCategory 1, 75 mph53 mi
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 70 mph64 mi
Sep 12, 1878UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph55 mi
Aug 28, 1949UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph59 mi
Oct 29, 2020ZetaTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi
Oct 11, 2018MichaelTropical storm, 50 mph60 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 29, 2020ZetaTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi
Oct 11, 2018MichaelTropical storm, 50 mph60 mi
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 70 mph64 mi
Jul 25, 1985BobTropical storm, 45 mph55 mi
Sep 5, 1979DavidTropical storm, 50 mph58 mi
Sep 30, 1959GracieTropical storm, 45 mph61 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 Yadkin County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (12 policies)
7.4%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$6,153paid on 6 flood claims since 1978
1999costliest year, with $3,401 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 Yadkin County

$181,200median home value (North Carolina $288,900, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (North Carolina 1991, US 1980)
46%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
20.8%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; 17,253 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
Forsyth CountyModerate23
Iredell CountyLow21
Surry CountyLow18
Wilkes CountyModerate20
Davie CountyVery Low20

Common questions about Yadkin County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Yadkin County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Yadkin County, about $5.8 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $912,455.

How many federal disasters has Yadkin County had?

Yadkin County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Yadkin County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 88th 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 Yadkin County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 1000 homes in Yadkin 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 Yadkin County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Yadkin County since 1950. The strongest was an EF2 tornado on May 24, 2017 near Courtney. The weather service has also logged 69 hail reports and 30 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Yadkin County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 1 hurricane and 14 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Yadkin County. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1893, with winds near 75 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.