Atlantic, NC
How exposed is Atlantic to wildfire?
Atlantic sits at the 96th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 532 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Atlantic at the 94th percentile, close to its 96th-percentile risk score.
Atlantic's building exposure, zone by zone
67.3% of Atlantic's 532 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 358 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 27.8% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 4.9% are Minimal.
Atlantic against the rest of the country
Atlantic scores 96th nationally and 100th within North Carolina — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Atlantic ranks 1,134 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,837 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 4 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Atlantic and the insurance market
At the 96th percentile nationally, Atlantic carries the very high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Atlantic (67.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 532 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Atlantic. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Atlantic, see the exposure-zones guide.