Heat Wave Risk in North Carolina
All North Carolina counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index heat wave score
Heat Wave risk — prolonged periods of extreme heat that threaten health and infrastructure — is rated for 89 of 100 North Carolina counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Wake County carries the state's highest heat wave score at 96.9, with $15M in expected annual heat wave losses.
1 North Carolina county is rated High or Very High for heat wave, and expected annual losses from heat wave total roughly $94M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Heat Wave
| # | County | Heat Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake County | High | 6.89 / yr | $15M | |
| 2 | Mecklenburg County | Medium | 3.00 / yr | $6M | |
| 3 | Cumberland County | Medium | 8.89 / yr | $6M | |
| 4 | Durham County | Medium | 5.63 / yr | $5M | |
| 5 | Johnston County | Medium | 8.42 / yr | $3M | |
| 6 | Robeson County | Medium | 7.74 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Pitt County | Medium | 7.79 / yr | $3M | |
| 8 | Wayne County | Medium | 8.58 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Onslow County | Medium | 8.53 / yr | $3M | |
| 10 | Guilford County | Medium | 1.79 / yr | $2M | |
| 11 | Columbus County | Medium | 8.48 / yr | $1M | |
| 12 | New Hanover County | Medium | 7.67 / yr | $3M | |
| 13 | Brunswick County | Medium | 8.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Craven County | Medium | 8.79 / yr | $2M | |
| 15 | Orange County | Medium | 4.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 16 | Nash County | Medium | 7.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 17 | Harnett County | Medium | 8.26 / yr | $2M | |
| 18 | Forsyth County | Medium | 1.79 / yr | $2M | |
| 19 | Wilson County | Medium | 8.05 / yr | $1M | |
| 20 | Sampson County | Medium | 8.84 / yr | $930K | |
| 21 | Moore County | Low | 6.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 22 | Lenoir County | Low | 8.05 / yr | $820K | |
| 23 | Duplin County | Low | 8.32 / yr | $781K | |
| 24 | Halifax County | Low | 7.21 / yr | $721K | |
| 25 | Edgecombe County | Low | 7.68 / yr | $761K | |
| 26 | Alamance County | Low | 2.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 27 | Hoke County | Low | 8.32 / yr | $844K | |
| 28 | Chatham County | Low | 5.74 / yr | $961K | |
| 29 | Union County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $1M | |
| 30 | Lee County | Low | 6.58 / yr | $765K | |
| 31 | Scotland County | Low | 8.21 / yr | $587K | |
| 32 | Carteret County | Low | 6.82 / yr | $879K | |
| 33 | Beaufort County | Low | 8.53 / yr | $708K | |
| 34 | Granville County | Low | 4.32 / yr | $894K | |
| 35 | Gaston County | Low | 2.05 / yr | $915K | |
| 36 | Cabarrus County | Low | 2.68 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Franklin County | Low | 6.47 / yr | $814K | |
| 38 | Person County | Low | 2.63 / yr | $587K | |
| 39 | Vance County | Low | 4.37 / yr | $527K | |
| 40 | Bladen County | Low | 8.21 / yr | $543K | |
| 41 | Burke County | Low | 0.25 / yr | $587K | |
| 42 | Randolph County | Low | 2.21 / yr | $670K | |
| 43 | Richmond County | Low | 6.21 / yr | $527K | |
| 44 | Davidson County | Low | 1.84 / yr | $688K | |
| 45 | Chowan County | Low | 7.05 / yr | $587K | |
| 46 | Pender County | Low | 8.13 / yr | $685K | |
| 47 | Hertford County | Low | 6.58 / yr | $412K | |
| 48 | Pasquotank County | Low | 7.05 / yr | $528K | |
| 49 | Bertie County | Low | 6.79 / yr | $391K | |
| 50 | Stanly County | Low | 4.42 / yr | $577K | |
| 51 | Catawba County | Low | 0.69 / yr | $543K | |
| 52 | Martin County | Low | 7.53 / yr | $427K | |
| 53 | Greene County | Low | 7.84 / yr | $318K | |
| 54 | Rockingham County | Low | 1.68 / yr | $393K | |
| 55 | Cleveland County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $442K | |
| 56 | Washington County | Low | 8.27 / yr | $289K | |
| 57 | Perquimans County | Low | 7.05 / yr | $348K | |
| 58 | Warren County | Low | 5.79 / yr | $249K | |
| 59 | Dare County | Low | 7.36 / yr | $392K | |
| 60 | Rowan County | Low | 1.42 / yr | $376K | |
| 61 | Northampton County | Low | 6.26 / yr | $212K | |
| 62 | Anson County | Low | 5.47 / yr | $216K | |
| 63 | Montgomery County | Low | 4.63 / yr | $234K | |
| 64 | Iredell County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $381K | |
| 65 | Pamlico County | Low | 8.53 / yr | $193K | |
| 66 | Jones County | Low | 8.76 / yr | $145K | |
| 67 | Lincoln County | Low | 1.32 / yr | $223K | |
| 68 | Caldwell County | Low | 0.19 / yr | $210K | |
| 69 | Currituck County | Very Low | 6.32 / yr | $338K | |
| 70 | Rutherford County | Very Low | 0.57 / yr | $159K | |
| 71 | Caswell County | Very Low | 2.11 / yr | $158K | |
| 72 | Davie County | Very Low | 1.37 / yr | $148K | |
| 73 | Gates County | Very Low | 6.85 / yr | $132K | |
| 74 | Hyde County | Very Low | 8.37 / yr | $83K | |
| 75 | Alexander County | Very Low | 0.47 / yr | $88K | |
| 76 | Wilkes County | Very Low | 0.32 / yr | $81K | |
| 77 | Tyrrell County | Very Low | 8.37 / yr | $76K | |
| 78 | Stokes County | Very Low | 0.89 / yr | $88K | |
| 79 | Camden County | Very Low | 7.00 / yr | $133K | |
| 80 | Surry County | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $64K | |
| 81 | McDowell County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $57K | |
| 82 | Yadkin County | Very Low | 0.47 / yr | $47K | |
| 83 | Polk County | Very Low | 0.48 / yr | $30K | |
| 84 | Cherokee County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $7K | |
| 85 | Clay County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $3K | |
| 86 | Henderson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $51 | |
| 87 | Transylvania County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $25 | |
| 88 | Buncombe County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $1 | |
| 89 | Jackson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $0 |
89 North Carolina counties with measurable heat wave risk. See the national heat wave ranking or all North Carolina counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which North Carolina county has the highest heat wave risk?
Wake County has the highest FEMA heat wave risk score in North Carolina at 96.9 (High), with $15M in expected annual losses and about 6.89 events per year.
How many North Carolina counties face significant heat wave risk?
89 North Carolina counties record measurable heat wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 1 of them are rated High or Very High.