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South Carolina natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 46 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

28major disasters since 1953 (44th most)

$3Bexpected losses a year

6%of homes with flood insurance

Photo: the_donald_fotos, CC BY 2.0

South Carolina has had 28 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $3 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 26 of its 46 counties, followed by hurricane in 19. None is rated Very High overall. About 6% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $1 billion on 49,301 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties

High4counties

Moderate16counties

Low19counties

Highest overall risk

1Charleston CountyHigh

2Horry CountyHigh

3Beaufort CountyHigh

4Berkeley CountyHigh

5Greenville CountyModerate

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Kershaw CountyLow

2Cherokee CountyLow

3Darlington CountyLow

4Greenwood CountyLow

5Laurens CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 26 counties

Hurricanetop risk in 19 counties

Cold wavetop risk in 1 counties

Largest counties

Greenville County

525,347 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Richland County

415,644 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Charleston County

407,722 people

High Hurricane

Horry County

348,574 people

High Hurricane

Spartanburg County

327,446 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Lexington County

293,888 people

Moderate Inland flooding

York County

281,543 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Berkeley County

229,449 people

High Hurricane

Anderson County

203,620 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Beaufort County

186,606 people

High Hurricane

Aiken County

168,745 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Dorchester County

161,445 people

Moderate Hurricane

Cities in South Carolina

All 23 cities ›

Charleston154,338 Columbia139,643 North Charleston119,913 Mount Pleasant93,993 Rock Hill75,259 Greenville72,935 Summerville51,654 Goose Creek48,078 Sumter43,053 Greer41,536 Florence40,408 Spartanburg38,910 Myrtle Beach38,371 Hilton Head Island37,911 Bluffton33,157

All 46 counties

Name	People	Overall risk	Top hazard	Declarations	Homes insured
Abbeville County	24,291	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Aiken County	168,745	Moderate	Inland flooding	22	0.6%
Allendale County	8,033	Very Low	Hurricane	23	0.1%
Anderson County	203,620	Moderate	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Bamberg County	13,290	Low	Hurricane	26	0.5%
Barnwell County	20,573	Low	Inland flooding	25	0.1%
Beaufort County	186,606	High	Hurricane	22	39.7%
Berkeley County	229,449	High	Hurricane	28	7.2%
Calhoun County	14,114	Very Low	Inland flooding	28	0.2%
Charleston County	407,722	High	Hurricane	25	31.7%
Cherokee County	56,186	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.1%
Chester County	32,263	Low	Inland flooding	21	0.2%
Chesterfield County	43,159	Low	Inland flooding	24	0.1%
Clarendon County	31,118	Low	Hurricane	24	0.5%
Colleton County	38,512	Moderate	Hurricane	26	8.1%
Darlington County	62,874	Low	Inland flooding	24	0.3%
Dillon County	28,257	Moderate	Hurricane	27	0.8%
Dorchester County	161,445	Moderate	Hurricane	24	5%
Edgefield County	25,644	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.4%
Fairfield County	20,909	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	1.6%
Florence County	136,859	Moderate	Hurricane	26	0.9%
Georgetown County	63,262	Moderate	Hurricane	28	20.6%
Greenville County	525,347	Moderate	Inland flooding	24	0.6%
Greenwood County	69,326	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.2%
Hampton County	18,531	Low	Hurricane	23	0.8%
Horry County	348,574	High	Hurricane	32	14.6%
Jasper County	28,355	Low	Hurricane	22	17.8%
Kershaw County	65,395	Low	Inland flooding	26	1%
Lancaster County	95,804	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.4%
Laurens County	67,470	Low	Inland flooding	21	0.2%
Lee County	16,515	Very Low	Hurricane	23	0.2%
Lexington County	293,888	Moderate	Inland flooding	23	1.1%
Marion County	29,137	Low	Hurricane	26	2%
Marlboro County	26,656	Low	Hurricane	24	0.4%
McCormick County	9,500	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	1.4%
Newberry County	37,683	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.6%
Oconee County	78,560	Moderate	Cold wave	22	0.2%
Orangeburg County	84,183	Moderate	Hurricane	29	0.5%
Pickens County	131,341	Low	Inland flooding	24	0.3%
Richland County	415,644	Moderate	Inland flooding	24	1.3%
Saluda County	18,852	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.3%
Spartanburg County	327,446	Moderate	Inland flooding	23	0.2%
Sumter County	105,493	Moderate	Inland flooding	26	1%
Union County	27,226	Low	Inland flooding	21	0%
Williamsburg County	30,987	Moderate	Hurricane	28	0.5%
York County	281,543	Moderate	Inland flooding	20	0.4%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.