Carolina Shores, NC
How exposed is Carolina Shores to wildfire?
Carolina Shores sits at the 77th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,250 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Carolina Shores's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 74th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
2,250 buildings are counted in Carolina Shores, and 52.4% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0.2% rated Minimal.
Carolina Shores against the rest of the country
Carolina Shores's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (79th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (77th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Carolina Shores ranks 7,189 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,814 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 159 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Carolina Shores and the insurance market
At the 77th percentile nationally, Carolina Shores carries the 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 Carolina Shores (52.4%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Carolina Shores's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Carolina Shores's 7,189-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Carolina Shores's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.