Chowan County, NC: flood risk, in FEMA's own numbers
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Chowan County scores at the 52th percentile for flood hazard, rated "Relatively Low" — below the national norm for flood hazard. The hazard here is driven by coastal storm surge rather than inland rivers — FEMA's model puts a surge event here at about 3.4 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Chowan County
51.9% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Chowan County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 112 policies against 216 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Looking beyond the mandated zone, 3.4% of all residential structures in Chowan County carry flood coverage voluntarily or otherwise — relevant because most NFIP claims nationally come from outside the mapped SFHA.
How Chowan County compares nationally
Among the 3144 US counties FEMA scores for flood hazard, Chowan County ranks 1575 — 1 being the highest hazard nationally — and 2167 by population among all 3144 counties covered here, where 1 is the largest. About 13,891 people live in Chowan County, North Carolina, spread over 172.657 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Chowan County
FEMA counts 7,308 residential structures in Chowan County overall, 246 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
Where Chowan County's figures come from
Every figure on this page traces to a named FEMA dataset, documented in the methodology guide. Chowan County's coastal exposure is covered in the coastal vs. inland flood risk guide, including how storm surge risk differs from river flooding.