# Wilmington NC Flood Zones: What 26,951 FEMA Claims Show

> FEMA flood claims for New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender since 1978: from 2016 on, 1 in 4 came from outside high-risk zones. What it means for crawl spaces.

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# Wilmington-Area Flood Zones and Crawl Spaces: What FEMA's Claims Data Shows

Code & permits Wilmington-Area Flood Zones and Crawl Spaces: What FEMA's Claims Data Shows 26,951 flood insurance claims, read zone by zone. Updated 6 October 2026 From 2016 to 2026, 24% of flood insurance claims in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties came from Zone X and other moderate-to-low-risk areas, more than double the 11% share from 1978 to 2015. In the City of Wilmington it was half. A crawl space outside a mapped flood zone is not out of the water's reach.

## What 48 years of flood claims show

FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim, with the policyholder's identity removed. We pulled all of them for the three counties we cover: 26,951 claims from 1978 to August 2026, paying out about $404 million for buildings and contents. Each claim records the flood zone the property was rated in. Most come from where you would expect: 63% from the high-risk A and AE zones and 22% from the coastal V and VE zones. The part that has changed is the rest. Zone X (and the older B and C labels) is the area FEMA's maps class as moderate-to-low risk, where flood insurance is not federally required. Its share of claims has more than doubled. Share of NFIP flood claims in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties that came from Zone X, B or C — outside the high-risk A and V zones. 1978–2015 (20,265 claims) 11% RH About one claim in nine came from outside the mapped high-risk zones. 2016–2026 (6,686 claims) 24% RH Nearly one in four. Hurricane Florence, 2018 (4,003 claims) 27% RH $124 million paid across the three counties. September 2024 storm (662 claims) 50% RH Recorded by FEMA as Tropical Cyclone Eight — half the claims came from outside the zones. Source: FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Redacted Claims v3 (rated flood zone), New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, retrieved 6 October 2026.

## Rain floods outside the zones; surge stays inside them

The storms split cleanly. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Isaias in 2020 drew 5% and 2% of their claims from Zone X, and Wrightsville Beach, on its barrier island, has drawn 1 of its 386 claims in 2016–2026 from outside the mapped zones. When the water comes in from the ocean, the flood maps have it about right. Florence was different: 27% of its claims came from outside the zones. The September 2024 storm, which flooded Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Southport, reached 50%. Both were above all rain storms — water rising from saturated ground and running off streets rather than surge from the ocean — and rain does not follow the lines on a flood map. Those claims are not small, either. From 2016 to 2026 the median building payment on a Zone X claim has been $20,636, against $8,587 in the A zones. The data records what was paid, not why, but it is a reason not to read Zone X as "no flood risk".

## Town by town, 2016–2026

FEMA's community field shows how uneven it is. The share of each community's claims from 2016 to 2026 that came from Zone X: Southport — 55% of 150 claims City of Wilmington — 50% of 357 claims Leland — 42% of 72 claims Unincorporated New Hanover County (Castle Hayne, Ogden, Murraysville and the rest outside the towns) — 40% of 723 claims, up from 25% all-time Unincorporated Brunswick County — 30% of 483 claims Unincorporated Pender County, including Hampstead — 27% of 773 claims Carolina Beach — 18.5% of 509 claims, up from 7% all-time Wrightsville Beach — 0.3% of 386 claims

## What it means for a crawl space

In an A or V zone, a crawl space that sits below base flood elevation is an enclosure, and the NFIP requires flood openings: one square inch of net opening per square foot of enclosed area, at least two openings, on different walls. Our flood vent requirements guide has the full rule, and that is the work our flood vent installation service covers. In Zone X, flood openings are not required. The claims above show what does happen there: water arrives from saturated ground and runoff and collects around and under the house. That is a drainage problem before it is a flood-vent one. Grading that sheds water away from the foundation, crawl space drainage and a sump pump are the measures that answer it, and our standing water guide covers what to do once it is already down there. If you are encapsulating, the zone matters for the design. In an A or V zone the liner must not cover the flood openings, and materials below base flood elevation should be flood-damage-resistant. In Zone X there is no opening requirement, but a crawl space that has flooded once is worth sealing with that history in mind.

## How to check your own flood zone

North Carolina publishes its official flood maps through the state's Flood Risk Information System . Search your address and it shows the zone and, where one is mapped, the base flood elevation. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center has the same maps in FEMA's format. If the house has an elevation certificate, the zone and the elevations are on it. A zone tells you what the map expects, not what has happened. If you are buying, ask the seller whether the house has ever had flood damage or a flood claim, and look at the crawl space itself for water lines, silt and rusted fasteners before you rely on the map.

## The bottom line

From 2016 to 2026, one Wilmington-area flood claim in four has come from outside the high-risk zones, and in the City of Wilmington it is one in two. Check your zone, and treat Zone X as lower risk, not no risk — especially for a crawl space that already takes on water in heavy rain. For a number against your own crawl space, use the cost estimator , or call (910) 444-2738 and we will come and measure it. Get an exact quote A free on-site measure beats any online range. Website What do you need? Select a service… Crawl Space Encapsulation Crawl Space Insulation Crawl Space Waterproofing Crawl Space Mold Removal Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation Crawl Space Dehumidifier Installation Crawl Space Drainage Crawl Space Sump Pump Installation Crawl Space French Drain Crawl Space Cleanup Crawl Space Structural Repair Sagging Floor Repair Crawl Space Door Replacement Flood Vent Installation Not sure — I need someone to look ZIP code Continue Your name Phone What are you seeing? (optional) Back Request my inspection Got it — your request is in. We'll be in touch with a quote. Related service Flood Vent Installation Related guides Crawl Space Flood Vents: FEMA Requirements for North Carolina Homes Standing Water in Your Crawl Space: What to Do Crawl Space Encapsulation and the Federal Tax Credit All guides → , not a heading: this is a CTA, not a section of the document outline. --> Get your crawl space measured and priced Free on-site inspection across Wilmington and New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties. Free quotes within 24 hours. Call (910) 444-2738 Get a free quote

## Questions

Is Wilmington NC in a flood zone? Parts of it. Some of the city is in high-risk A and AE zones and some is in Zone X, the moderate-to-low-risk area; your address decides which. But from 2016 to 2026, half of the City of Wilmington's flood insurance claims have come from Zone X, so being outside a mapped zone is not the same as not flooding. What is flood zone X? The part of FEMA's flood map classed as moderate-to-low risk: either the 0.2%-annual-chance (500-year) floodplain or the area outside it. Flood insurance is not federally required there and NFIP rules do not require flood openings on enclosures, but claims still come from it — 24% of the three counties' claims from 2016 to 2026. Do I need flood vents in zone X? No. NFIP flood openings are required for enclosures below base flood elevation in A and V zones, not in Zone X. A Zone X crawl space that takes on water usually needs drainage, grading or a sump pump first, because the water is coming from saturated ground and runoff rather than a rising flood. Which Wilmington-area storm caused the most flood claims? By count, Hurricane Fran in 1996 (5,695 claims) and Floyd in 1999 (5,211). By money, Hurricane Florence in 2018: $124 million paid on 4,003 claims across New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, 27% of them from outside the high-risk zones.