Flood history · Wanchese, NC 27981
Flood insurance claims in Wanchese, NC 27981
161 claims since 1984 and $2.4 million paid. Here's what the public record shows, and how to check a specific address.
Claims by year
Every NFIP flood insurance claim reported in ZIP 27981 since 1978.
What the record says
Almost all claims here (98%) were on properties in high-risk zones (A or V). In those zones, federally regulated lenders require flood insurance.
One event dominates the record: Hurricane Irene accounts for 44% of all claims in this ZIP code.
5 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is tidal water overflow: coastal surge and high tides.
Dare County* takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 6), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 20% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011 | 71 | 44% |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003 | 10 | 6% |
| Hurricane Gloria | 1985 | 10 | 6% |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999 | 8 | 5% |
| Hurricane Bonnie | 1998 | 4 | 2% |
| Hurricane Michael | 2018 | 3 | 2% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Dare County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
19 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Dare County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Wanchese.
ZIP-level history is the backdrop. See the official FEMA flood zone, ground elevation and next steps for one property, free.
Nearby North Carolina ZIP codes
Sources: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) and Disaster Declarations Summaries, FEMA NFIP Community Status Book; place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Data as of 2026-10-09. Payments are net building + contents payments in dollars at the time paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims are grouped by the ZIP code reported on the claim. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA. Information only; not an official flood zone determination or insurance advice.
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