Natural disaster risk in Chester County, South Carolina
South Carolina · population 32,263 · FIPS 45023
Overall: relatively low risk
Chester County has a composite risk score of 43.2 out of 100 — higher than 43% of US counties. It ranks 39 of 46 in South Carolina (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are ice storm, lightning, tornado.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, at least 54 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 27.26% of Chester County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Chester County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 43.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $10.8 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 38.4 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 68.7 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 43.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Chester County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively high 82 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 76 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 64 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 71 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 63 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 41 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 41 |
| Drought | Relatively low 40 |
| Wildfire | Very low 45 |
| Landslide | Very low 41 |
| Hail | Very low 30 |
| Winter weather | Very low 21 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Chester County
Federal declarations that designated Chester County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Chester County has been named in 4 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3632-SC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 23 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3632-SC | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 23 Jan 2026 | No |
| DR-4829-SC | Major disaster | Hurricane Helene | 29 Sep 2024 | Yes |
| EM-3619-SC | Emergency | Hurricane Helene | 26 Sep 2024 | No |
| EM-3606-SC | Emergency | Hurricane Debby | 5 Aug 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in South Carolina, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in Chester County, South Carolina?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Chester County as relatively low, with a score of 43.2 out of 100 (higher than 43% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Chester County?
The hazards rated highest for Chester County are ice storm (relatively high), lightning (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Chester County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Chester County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Chester County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Chester County has been named in 4 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3632-SC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 23 Jan 2026.
Is Chester County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 27.26% of Chester County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
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