Southport, NC
How exposed is Southport to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Southport lands at the 89th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 2,509 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Southport's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 86th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
2,509 buildings are counted in Southport, and 48% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 44.8% in Direct exposure or the 7.2% rated Minimal.
Where Southport ranks
Southport's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Carolina (98th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (89th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Southport ranks 3,377 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,287 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 18 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 89th percentile nationally, Southport 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.
Hardening a home in Southport
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Southport (48% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Southport's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Southport's 3,377-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Southport's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.