Storm risk in Buncombe County, North Carolina
FEMA's overall hazard score for Buncombe County is 89.34 (Relatively Moderate), 336th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 75.22 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 92.56 (Relatively High) and tornado 81.33 (Relatively Moderate). Expected hail loss is $7.28 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 35 hail reports in Buncombe County from 2014 to June 2026.
FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.
- Buncombe County, coloured by its FEMA rating
- all U.S. counties
- each county in the state
- U.S. median
- state median
Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.
How FEMA rates Buncombe County
| Hazard | Rating | Score (0 to 100) | Rank in U.S. | Rank in NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Relatively Moderate | 89.34 | 336 of 3,144 | 18 of 100 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.22 | 780 of 3,126 | 19 of 100 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 92.56 | 235 of 3,126 | 8 of 100 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.33 | 588 of 3,126 | 32 of 100 |
Expected yearly loss, in dollars
| Hazard | This county, total a year | Per $1M of buildings | State median county | U.S. median county | Rank per $1M, U.S. | Rank per $1M, state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | $397,202 | $7.28 | $9.65 | $22 | 2,268 of 3,126 | 66 of 100 |
| Strong wind | $220,757 | $4.04 | $8.61 | $20 | 2,711 of 3,121 | 83 of 100 |
| Tornado | $4,355,435 | $80 | $156 | $199 | 2,175 of 3,144 | 90 of 100 |
Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.
What stands out in Buncombe County
- FEMA expects hail in Buncombe County to cost $7.28 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.33 times the U.S. median and 0.75 times the NC county median, ranked 2,268th of 3,126 counties nationally and 66th of 100 in North Carolina.
- FEMA expects strong wind in Buncombe County to cost $4.04 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.20 times the U.S. median and 0.47 times the NC county median, ranked 2,711th of 3,121 counties nationally and 83rd of 100 in North Carolina.
- FEMA expects tornado in Buncombe County to cost $80 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.40 times the U.S. median and 0.51 times the NC county median, ranked 2,175th of 3,144 counties nationally and 90th of 100 in North Carolina.
- Applying FEMA's estimate to a $360,000 home, the average yearly loss in Buncombe County is about $2.62 for hail and $1.46 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $8.04 and $7.33.
- If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Buncombe County meets about 18.3 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
- Built in 1989, the median home in Buncombe County is 37 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 67.6% of its 132,191 homes are at least 26 years old.
- March to June holds 24 of the 35 hail reports in Buncombe County (69 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.
What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year
Enter a home value. The calculator applies Buncombe County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.
Formula: home value × Buncombe County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $397,202 ÷ $54,591,065,992 = 0.0000073. Wind: $220,757 ÷ $54,591,065,992 = 0.0000040. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.
Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.
Buncombe County in plain numbers
- Buncombe County scores 89.34 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Moderate): 336th of 3,144 rated counties and 18th of 100 in North Carolina.
- Hail scores 75.22 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $397,202 of hail damage to buildings in Buncombe County a year, which is $7.28 per $1 million of buildings, 0.33 times the U.S. median.
- Strong wind scores 92.56 (Relatively High) with $220,757 of expected yearly building loss in Buncombe County: $4.04 per $1 million of buildings, 0.20 times the U.S. median.
- Tornado scores 81.33 (Relatively Moderate) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $4,355,435, counting everything exposed, or $80 per $1 million of buildings in Buncombe County.
- FEMA's own event record for Buncombe County averages 4.25 hail events and 2.76 strong-wind events a year.
- NOAA logged 35 hail reports in Buncombe County between 2014 and June 2026, on 11 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 2.5 inches.
- In Buncombe County, FEMA counts buildings worth 54.59 billion dollars and 269,305 residents.
- Social vulnerability is Relatively Low in Buncombe County.
- Community resilience there is Relatively High, for 269,305 residents.
- 1 city in Buncombe County is covered on this site: Asheville. 16 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
- Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in Asheville is $7,350 to $16,275.
- Buncombe County ranks 149 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 158 for wind and 160 for tornado.
- In Buncombe County, May is the busiest month with 16 of the 35 reports (46 percent), against 0 reports in November.
- Buncombe County's worst year was 2014, with 3 hail days at 1 inch or more and 5 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 0.92 such days a year, one about every 13.1 months.
- The median home in Buncombe County was built in 1989; 38.1% of its 132,191 housing units date from before 1980, 67.6% from before 2000 and 16.6% from 2010 on.
- Census puts the median home value in Buncombe County at $360,000, and 64.4% of homes are lived in by their owners.
- 15,913 single-family building permits were issued in Buncombe County from 2014 to 2025, about 120.4 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2021.
- NOAA lists 1 tornado track in Buncombe County since 2014; the strongest was an EF0 on May 8, 2024 near Walkertown, 2.32 miles long.
- The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Buncombe County is 69 mph on June 4, 2016 at Jupiter.
- The nearest county with a page here is Gaston County, 79 miles from the centre of Buncombe County; its hail score is 68.42.
- Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 15 roofing contractor establishments in Buncombe County in 2023, one for every 8,813 homes.
The hail record of Buncombe County, year by year
NOAA logged 35 reports in Buncombe County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 11 days. That is 0.9 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.
- reports
- days with hail of 1 inch or more
- * 2026 runs to June only
Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: May, 16 reports.
The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
| Year | Reports | Days, 1 inch or more | Days, 1.75 inch or more | Largest stone | Damage reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 in | – |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2016 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 in | – |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 in | – |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.88 in | – |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.88 in | – |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 in | – |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 in | – |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 in | – |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2026 (to June) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 in | – |
Biggest hail days in Buncombe County
| Date | Largest stone | Reports that day | Damage reported | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | 2.5 in | 2 | none recorded | Barnardsville |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.75 in | 4 | none recorded | Craggy |
| July 8, 2016 | 1.75 in | 2 | none recorded | Grovestone |
| June 18, 2015 | 1.75 in | 1 | none recorded | West Haven |
| May 1, 2016 | 1.5 in | 2 | none recorded | Montreat |
Where large hail was reported
FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside Buncombe County the big stones fell.
Reported hail locations, Buncombe County
- 121 to 1.74 in
- 51.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 02.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 2.5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
17 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineWind and tornado records for Buncombe County
Fastest gusts in Buncombe County
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| June 4, 2016 | 69 mph | Jupiter |
| April 3, 2017 | 69 mph | Candler Hgts |
| July 22, 2024 | 69 mph | Volga |
| July 27, 2014 | 63 mph | Bingham Hgts |
Strongest tornado tracks in Buncombe County
| Date | Scale | Length | Injured / killed | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | EF0 | 2.32 mi | 0 / 0 | Walkertown |
1 tornado track in all since 2014; the strongest 1 are listed.
How old the roofs are
Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at Buncombe County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 0.92 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.
Bars: share of 132,191 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 38.1% |
| Built before 2000 | 67.6% |
| Built since 2010 | 16.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 64.4% |
| Median home value | $360,000 |
| Single-family permits, 2014 to 2025 | 15,913 |
| Permits per 1,000 homes | 120.4 |
Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.
Roofers and past disasters in Buncombe County
Roofing firms in Buncombe County
| Roofing contractor establishments, 2023 | 15 |
| Change since 2016 | +1 (+7%) |
| Homes per roofing firm | 8,813 |
| Median across counties | 5,189 |
| Employees, 2023 | 69 |
Source for Buncombe County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.
Nearby counties
The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by Buncombe County's.
| County | Miles | Overall | Hail loss | Hail, times here | Wind loss | Wind, times here | NOAA hail reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County, NC | 79 | Relatively Moderate | $8.92 | 1.23 | $3.57 | 0.88 | 32 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 113 | Relatively Moderate | $6.71 | 0.92 | $2.89 | 0.71 | 32 |
| Forsyth County, NC | 131 | Relatively Moderate | $7.95 | 1.09 | $2.47 | 0.61 | 23 |
| Guilford County, NC | 156 | Relatively Moderate | $10 | 1.40 | $3.23 | 0.80 | 48 |
| Alamance County, NC | 178 | Relatively Low | $18 | 2.45 | $6.65 | 1.65 | 19 |
| Cumberland County, NC | 213 | Relatively Moderate | $14 | 1.98 | $11 | 2.63 | 25 |
More North Carolina counties, nearest first
- Wake County 219 mi
- Edgecombe County 278 mi
- New Hanover County 281 mi
- Onslow County 297 mi
Cities and ZIP areas in Buncombe County
1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 16 such areas have more than half their land here.
| City | ZIP areas (share of land in the county) | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Asheville | 28801 (100%), 28803 (100%), 28804 (100%), 28805 (100%), 28806 (100%) | Roofers |
Storm hit your roof in Buncombe County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.
Start an inspection requestQuestions
How high is storm risk in Buncombe County?
FEMA's National Risk Index gives Buncombe County an overall score of 89.34 (Relatively Moderate), 336th of 3,144. Hail scores 75.22 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 92.56 (Relatively High) and tornado 81.33 (Relatively Moderate).
In Buncombe County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?
A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 35 for Buncombe County between 2014 and June 2026, on 11 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 2.5 inches.
What do hail and wind cost a home in Buncombe County each year, on average?
Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $360,000: FEMA's estimate is about $2.62 a year for hail and $1.46 for wind, before any deductible, against $8.04 and $7.33 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.
How does Buncombe County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
Per $1 million of buildings Buncombe County loses $7.28 to hail a year, against $9.65 in the median county of the state. Among 100 rated counties it is 19th for hail, 8th for strong wind and 32nd for tornado.
How old are the roofs in Buncombe County?
The median home was built in 1989, 37 years ago, and 67.6% of the 132,191 housing units in Buncombe County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.
What does expected annual loss mean?
It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.
Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?
No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.
Sources for Buncombe County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Buncombe County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Buncombe County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Buncombe County. Planning-level information about Buncombe County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).