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Flooding in Wilmington, NC: the figures

Built from New Hanover County flood, weather and housing records, with what each figure means for your home.

Building payments on flood claims in Wilmington's ZIP codes averaged $26,731 in the ten years to 2025.

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Technical drawing of flood damage restoration: flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.
Flood Damage Restoration covers flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.

Your call, step by step

  1. Call (833) 728-2327

    Tell the person who answers what got wet and where the water came from. Calls are answered 24/7.

  2. Stop the source

    You get help shutting off the water or the power to a wet room while the crew is on the way.

  3. Inspection and written estimate

    Moisture readings, photos and a written estimate come before any work begins.

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A guide for water damage restoration in Wilmington and the towns around it.

Renters live in 53% of the homes in Wilmington, compared with 34% across North Carolina.

What the flood figures say for Wilmington

Hurricanes dominate Wilmington's flood numbers. FEMA's National Risk Index puts the city's yearly hurricane loss at $297 per $100,000 of building value, the same as New Hanover County and far above the state's $50. Coastal flood loss adds $8 and inland flood loss $80.

FEMA flood insurance records show 10.5 claims per 1,000 homes from 2016 to 2025, under the county's 19.2 but above the state's 6.7. The average building payment on a city claim was $26,731. New Hanover County has had 10 major disaster declarations for floods and storms since 2000 and logged 21 days with flash flood or flood reports from 2016 to 2025. NOAA climate normals count about 19 days a year with an inch of rain or more.

Owners here know the risk: 14.7% of county homes hold federal flood insurance, against 2.6% statewide. This matters because surge and storm runoff count as Category 3, with salt, soil and sewage mixed in. Standard homeowners policies exclude that water, and only flood insurance covers it. Rain that comes through a roof opened by wind is usually handled under the homeowners or wind policy, so check your own coverage. After a storm in the Wilmington area, the restoration crew cuts out soaked drywall and insulation, and flood damage restoration moves to rebuilding once the frame is dry.

Wilmington flood figures

Wilmington figures: about 118,578 residents in the city, by the Census.

32% of homes in Wilmington share a building with at least four other units, against 23% across New Hanover County. In a shared building, let the manager and the neighbors below know about a leak.

From 2016 to 2025 there were 10.5 federal flood insurance claims for every 1,000 homes in Wilmington's ZIP codes.

38% of homes in Wilmington went up before 1980. In an older house, ask the crew to check the pipes and subfloor around the leak, not only the wet room.

  • 61,188 Housing units
  • 118,578 Residents
  • 53% Homes that are rentedNew Hanover County: 39% Wilmington53%New Hanover39%NC34%
  • 32% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsNew Hanover County: 23% Wilmington32%New Hanover23%NC14%
  • 10.5 Flood insurance claims per 1,000 homes, 2016 to 2025New Hanover County: 19.2 Wilmington10.5New Hanover19.2NC6.7
  • 38% Homes built before 1980New Hanover County: 31% Wilmington38%New Hanover31%NC35%
  • 15% Homes built before 1950New Hanover County: 9% Wilmington15%New Hanover9%NC8%
  • 80 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueNew Hanover County: 76 Wilmington80New Hanover76NC88
  • 3% Homes kept for seasonal or occasional useNew Hanover County: 6% Wilmington3%New Hanover6%NC4%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.

Before the next storm in Wilmington

About 16% of Wilmington households moved in since 2021, by Census figures, and many have not yet lived through a hurricane season here. Prep starts with drainage. Clear out the downspouts and extend them away from the foundation and make sure the yard slopes toward the street. Secure loose items that wind could drive into windows.

If your home has a sump pump or a crawlspace pump, test it with a bucket of water and add a battery backup, because hurricanes cut power for days. Clear sand and leaves from window wells and crawlspace vents. Move papers, photos and electronics off the floor and away from exterior doors.

Pull up FEMA's flood map and enter your address. FEMA notes a 30-day waiting period before a new flood policy takes effect, so coverage has to be bought before a storm forms. With 53% of homes rented, tenants need their own contents coverage, and those in the 32% of homes in larger buildings should learn the building's storm plan.

If water gets in, cut power to wet rooms, photograph each room and start drying within 24 to 48 hours. Surge and rising water are Category 3, so sewage cleanup steps apply even when no drain backed up. A burst supply line upstairs is different, and carpet water extraction in place is often possible for that clean water. Anyone with a second home can arrange water removal in Leland the same way.

What to have on hand before storm season

A few records make the days after a flood easier. Know your flood zone from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Keep a video walk-through of the house, room by room, stored online. Write down where the main water valve and the breaker panel are. Raise anything valuable off the basement floor, and keep sandbags or water barriers only where water actually enters. After a flood, photograph the water line on the walls before cleanup begins. Hardwood or laminate soaked by floodwater usually needs floor repair after water damage once it is dry.

Flood questions in Wilmington

What does a FEMA flood risk rating mean for my Wilmington home?

FEMA's National Risk Index rates counties and census tracts for hazards such as riverine and coastal flooding, from very low to very high, using expected losses and community factors. It describes the area, not one house: a low lot or a basement can flood in a lower-rated area. Check your own FEMA flood zone too.

How do I keep storm water out of a Wilmington basement?

Most basement water from storms comes from runoff at the foundation. Point downspouts away from the house, keep the yard sloping away, test the sump pump and its backup, and seal cracks and window wells.

Is flood cleanup different from other water damage?

Yes. Outside floodwater is Category 3 under the IICRC S500 standard, so carpet, pad, insulation and drywall below the water line are removed rather than dried, and hard surfaces are disinfected. Sewage and chemicals in floodwater are why the crew wears protective gear.

What should I do after floodwater gets into my Wilmington home?

Keep out of the water until the electricity to the area is off. Floodwater counts as contaminated, so wear boots and gloves if you must go in. Photograph the water line, then call for extraction and drying; soaked porous materials below the line are usually removed.

Where can I check the flood zone for a Wilmington address?

On the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov: type the address to see its flood zone and the map's date. FEMA's National Risk Index adds a county and ZIP view of expected flood losses. A low-risk zone is not a no-risk zone; water from heavy rain still reaches basements outside mapped flood areas.

Related Wilmington guides

The Wilmington guides index

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