Natural disaster risk in South Carolina, by county
All 46 counties in South Carolina, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Charleston County (relatively high, score 98.6). Lowest: McCormick County (very low, score 9.5).
Top hazards in South Carolina
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | 29 of 46 | 79.7 |
| Lightning | 20 of 46 | 70.8 |
| Hurricane | 15 of 46 | 84.8 |
| Strong wind | 14 of 46 | 67.0 |
| Tornado | 7 of 46 | 70.6 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston County | Relatively high 98.6 | Coastal flooding (very high) |
| 2 | Horry County | Relatively high 98.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 3 | Beaufort County | Relatively high 97.1 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 4 | Berkeley County | Relatively high 94.8 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 5 | Greenville County | Relatively moderate 94 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 6 | Dorchester County | Relatively moderate 93.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 7 | Richland County | Relatively moderate 93.1 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 8 | Georgetown County | Relatively moderate 92.5 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 9 | Lexington County | Relatively moderate 90.9 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 10 | Spartanburg County | Relatively moderate 90.6 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 11 | Florence County | Relatively moderate 89.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 12 | York County | Relatively moderate 88.7 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 13 | Orangeburg County | Relatively moderate 87.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 14 | Anderson County | Relatively moderate 87.2 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 15 | Oconee County | Relatively moderate 85.6 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 16 | Colleton County | Relatively moderate 85.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 17 | Dillon County | Relatively moderate 84.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 18 | Aiken County | Relatively moderate 84.2 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 19 | Williamsburg County | Relatively moderate 82.1 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 20 | Sumter County | Relatively moderate 81.7 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 21 | Marion County | Relatively low 80.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 22 | Lancaster County | Relatively low 79.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 23 | Jasper County | Relatively low 78.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 24 | Pickens County | Relatively low 77.6 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 25 | Clarendon County | Relatively low 76.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 26 | Laurens County | Relatively low 76.2 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 27 | Chesterfield County | Relatively low 74 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 28 | Greenwood County | Relatively low 72.7 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 29 | Darlington County | Relatively low 72.3 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Cherokee County | Relatively low 69.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 31 | Kershaw County | Relatively low 66.7 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 32 | Hampton County | Relatively low 64.8 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | Newberry County | Relatively low 62 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 34 | Union County | Relatively low 58.2 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 35 | Marlboro County | Relatively low 57.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 36 | Bamberg County | Relatively low 46.5 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Barnwell County | Relatively low 45.8 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Abbeville County | Relatively low 45.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 39 | Chester County | Relatively low 43.2 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 40 | Fairfield County | Very low 40.8 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 41 | Saluda County | Very low 40.1 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 42 | Lee County | Very low 36 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Allendale County | Very low 35.5 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 44 | Calhoun County | Very low 22.6 | Hurricane (relatively low) |
| 45 | Edgefield County | Very low 22 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 46 | McCormick County | Very low 9.5 | Hurricane (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in South Carolina has the highest natural disaster risk?
Charleston County has the highest composite risk score in South Carolina in FEMA's National Risk Index: 98.6, rated relatively high.
Which county in South Carolina has the lowest natural disaster risk?
McCormick County has the lowest composite risk score in South Carolina: 9.5, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is South Carolina most at risk from?
Across South Carolina, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are ice storm, lightning, hurricane, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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