Does Piney Woods flood?
Piney Woods, Wilmington, NC · ZIP codes 28409 and 28403: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Piney Woods have filed flood claims. About 4.7% of Piney Woods’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Piney Woods, from 1996 through 2018. 15 of them received a payment, totaling $101,966 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1996 (6 claims), 1999 (4 claims), 2018 (4 claims).
What this page counts as Piney Woods
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Piney Woods, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Piney Woods means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Piney Woods (feature 1005136) and inside the Wilmington city limits (U.S. Census Bureau), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Piney Woods. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places boundaries (NRHP polygons) and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Piney Woods
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Piney Woods
The named streets in Piney Woods, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Piney Woods lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Piney Woods; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that. 31 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| S College Rd | 2.0 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oleander Dr | 1.6 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Pine Grove Dr | 1.0 mi | 3.4% | X (unshaded, minimal) (91%) |
| Park Ave | 4,510 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Freedom Way | 3,950 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Long Leaf Hills Dr | 3,740 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Mockingbird Ln | 3,510 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Wrightsville Ave | 3,400 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Wallace Ave N | 2,870 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Pine St | 2,640 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Wood Dale Dr | 2,580 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Riegel Rd | 2,450 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| White Oak Dr | 2,370 ft | 84% | AE (84%) |
| Brightwood Rd | 2,260 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| E Cascade Rd | 2,180 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (99%) |
| Pine Hills Dr | 2,160 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| S 52nd St | 2,000 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oak Leaf Dr | 1,950 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oakcrest Dr | 1,750 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Wintergreen Rd | 1,710 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Parkwood Dr | 1,700 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Peachtree Ave | 1,630 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Heide Dr | 1,610 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Rose Ave | 1,590 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Ridgeway Dr | 1,500 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved November 6, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Piney Woods
Share of Piney Woods’s mapped area (about 3.684 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Mapped base flood elevations inside the neighborhood range from 12 to 12 feet. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (3720313600K, 3720314600K, 3720314700K): August 28, 2018.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 92% |
| AE | 4.7% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 3.6% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Piney Woods. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13 | $43,289 |
| 2000s | 1 | $0 |
| 2010s | 7 | $58,677 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Hurricane Fran: 6 claims
- Hurricane Floyd: 4 claims
- Hurricane Florence: 4 claims
- Hurricane Bonnie: 2 claims
- Hurricane Ophelia: 1 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 11
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 9
- V/VE (coastal high hazard): 1
Why home insurance costs what it does in Piney Woods
This section is educational and is not insurance advice.
Flood insurance
ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. These are the ZIP codes on at least 5% of the flood claims counted for Piney Woods, within 10 km of it.
- ZIP code 28409: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $966 a year, the middle of 2,263 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $683 and $1,284. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0.
- ZIP code 28409: NFIP records list 1,337 flood claims with a loss year from 1979 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
- ZIP code 28403: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $1,149 a year, the middle of 714 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $852 and $1,434. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0.
- ZIP code 28403: NFIP records list 435 flood claims with a loss year from 1979 through 2024. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
Fire and wind
- USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities gives Wilmington, NC a Risk to Homes national percentile rank of 0.800, which its methods call High (above the 70th percentile and below the 90th). That is the city rating, not a rating of Piney Woods alone. The summary file is dated April 15, 2026.
What to ask your agent
- Ask the agent how old the roof is.
- Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house.
- Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy.
- Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated.
- Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Flood coverage and the 30-day wait: FEMA fact sheet, Jan. 21, 2025; 44 CFR 61.11.
What do NFIP records show for flood insurance in Piney Woods?
ZIP code 28409: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $966 a year, the middle of 2,263 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $683 and $1,284. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0. ZIP code 28409: NFIP records list 1,337 flood claims with a loss year from 1979 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026. ZIP code 28403: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $1,149 a year, the middle of 714 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $852 and $1,434. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0. ZIP code 28403: NFIP records list 435 flood claims with a loss year from 1979 through 2024. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
What do public fire and wind records show for Piney Woods?
USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities gives Wilmington, NC a Risk to Homes national percentile rank of 0.800, which its methods call High (above the 70th percentile and below the 90th). That is the city rating, not a rating of Piney Woods alone. The summary file is dated April 15, 2026.
What should I ask an insurance agent about a home in Piney Woods?
Ask the agent how old the roof is. Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house. Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy. Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated. Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Sources: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3; OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3; USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries; Wildfire Risk to Communities methods.
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Before you rent or buy in Piney Woods
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
Living in Piney Woods
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Piney Woods with other Wilmington neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Wilmington on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Piney Woods flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Piney Woods have filed flood claims. About 4.7% of Piney Woods’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Piney Woods, from 1996 through 2018. 15 of them received a payment, totaling $101,966 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1996 (6 claims), 1999 (4 claims), 2018 (4 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Piney Woods in a flood zone?
About 4.7% of Piney Woods’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (unshaded, minimal) 92%; AE 4.7%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 3.6%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect August 28, 2018.
Which streets in Piney Woods are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of White Oak Dr lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Less than 10% of S College Rd, Oleander Dr, Pine Grove Dr, Park Ave, Freedom Way, Long Leaf Hills Dr, Mockingbird Ln and Wrightsville Ave does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Piney Woods in?
Piney Woods is in Wilmington, NC. ZIP codes 28409 and 28403: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
- Does Winter Park flood?
- Does Seagate flood?
- Does Masonboro flood?
- Pine Valley Estates
- Lincoln Forest
- Does Oakcrest flood?
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places boundaries (NRHP polygons) and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved November 6, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for New Hanover County (county code 37129), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved November 6, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 371290120011, 371290119022. Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on November 6, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on November 6, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places boundaries (NRHP polygons) and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries.
- Wildfire Risk to Communities methods.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and November 6, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated November 6, 2026.