North Carolina Faces Rising Threat from Severe Convective Storms Impacting Homeowners
Recent research by climate risk modeling firm First Street highlights that severe convective storms (SCS) now pose a greater threat to homeowners than traditional weather events like hurricanes and floods. In 2025, insurance payouts from SCS surpassed those from cyclones, marking them as the costliest insured natural disasters globally. The U.S. is particularly affected, with $68 billion of the $82 billion in global losses concentrated in the country. These storms, characterized by short-duration but high-impact events such as hail, wind, and tornadoes, are becoming more frequent due to climate change. North Carolina, along with states like Illinois, Ohio, and Georgia, is identified as being at high risk due to its dense real estate areas, particularly in cities like Charlotte. 
