Climate Risk Summary

Morehead City, NC Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Morehead City, NC are Hurricane, Inland Flooding, and Coastal Flooding. This area also faces an unusually high intensity for Winter Weather compared to national averages.

City-Wide Aggregation

These scores represent the population-weighted average across all residential blocks in Morehead City.

Primary Risks

Hurricane

$14,308,123

Expected Annual Loss for Morehead City

98.8Score

Very High compared to US average

Morehead City (OUTLIER)
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Inland Flooding

$871,239

Expected Annual Loss for Morehead City

13.8Score

Relatively Low compared to US average

Morehead City
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Coastal Flooding

$536,126

Expected Annual Loss for Morehead City

93.9Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Morehead City
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

City Boundary

Legend
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Extreme

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER
Hurricane
$14,308,123
Score: 98.8
MAJOR DRIVER
Inland Flooding
$871,239
Score: 13.8
MAJOR DRIVER
Coastal Flooding
$536,126
Score: 93.9
Tornado
$125,001
Score: 37.9
Heat Wave
$114,250
Score: 40.7
Lightning
$80,491
Score: 67.6
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Winter Weather
$76,324
Score: 91.4
Cold Wave
$69,357
Score: 30.4
Strong Wind
$57,901
Score: 46.4
Ice Storm
$42,222
Score: 68.3
Earthquake
$23,296
Score: 18.1
Wildfire
$14,167
Score: 63.0
Hail
$9,427
Score: 32.4
Drought
$8
Score: 3.7
Landslide
$2
Score: 26.7

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

🌀High Investment

Hurricane Mitigation

Install permanent hurricane shutters or upgrade to impact-resistant windows.

Risk Score: 98.8
🏠Low Investment

Coastal Flooding Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 93.9
🏠Low Investment

Lightning Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 67.6
🏠Low Investment

Winter Weather Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 91.4
❄️Medium Investment

Ice Storm Mitigation

Install a 10kWh backup battery system to keep pipes from freezing during grid failure.

Risk Score: 68.3
🔥Low Investment

Wildfire Mitigation

Create a 5ft 'non-combustible' zone around your home using gravel or pavers instead of mulch.

Risk Score: 63.0

Sources and Methodology

Spatial Aggregation

Our "Atlas" risk scores are derived using a population-weighted spatial join. Because US Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, a simple geographic average would be misleading. We utilize US Census Block Group population statistics to identify where residents actually live within a Zip Code. We then intersect these points with FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) hazard data to calculate a weighted exposure score.

Financial Projections (EAL)

Expected Annual Loss (EAL) estimates the average economic impact of natural hazards in dollars per year. This calculation incorporates three components: Exposure (the value of structures and agriculture), Annualized Frequency (historical probability), and Historic Loss Ratio (vulnerability of the area).

Primary Data Sources

  • FEMA National Risk IndexHazard frequency and loss data (v1.20.0)
  • U.S. Census BureauTIGER/Line 2025 Shapefiles & Decennial Population

Nearby Cities

Zip Codes in Morehead City