FEMA Records
24
Above median
South Carolina · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cherokee County, SC
24 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 24
- FEMA declarations
- 10
- Major disasters
- 70
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Cherokee County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 24 declarations, more than 66% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 6% below the South Carolina county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 30%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 30%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 24
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 6
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Cherokee County compare?
Cherokee County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
24 Top 34% higher than 66% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Cherokee County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the South Carolina county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Cherokee County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $11.9M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Ice Storm carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Cherokee County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 69.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $23.4M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Ice Storm stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 2.1 times per year here, based on 138 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Cherokee County's 24 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within South Carolina, however, the count is 6% below the county mean. 10 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Hurricane, appearing 11 times. The full 49-year record averages 0.5 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 6 claims and $46.1K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a South Carolina county averages 25.6 federal declaration records, while Cherokee County has 24. The gap is 6% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
59 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Cherokee County, SC · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) High
17/30
24 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.2x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
12/25
24 declarations (0.9x state county average of 26)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
10/25
10 of 24 declarations are major disasters (42%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
8 different disaster types declared in Cherokee County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. South Carolina Avg
-6%
State avg: 25.6
vs. National Avg
+16%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 49 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cherokee County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
42%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
70
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Cherokee County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | an average of 2.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 53 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 477 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | roughly once every 18 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 5.6 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 1.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 2,531 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 4.4 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 11
Severe Ice Storm 4
Tropical Storm 2
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Flood 1
Drought 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Cherokee County's federal record, 46% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 14 58.3%
of all 24 declarations
Major Disaster - 10 41.7%
of all 24 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 2 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
Show 2 earlier declaration years
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 24 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 24 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3632 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-23 |
| 4829 | HURRICANE HELENE | DR | Hurricane | 2024-09-29 |
| 3619 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-26 |
| 3606 | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-08-05 |
| 3597 | HURRICANE IDALIA | EM | Hurricane | 2023-08-31 |
| 4677 | HURRICANE IAN | DR | Hurricane | 2022-11-21 |
| 3585 | HURRICANE IAN | EM | Hurricane | 2022-09-29 |
| 4492 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-27 |
| 3470 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3421 | HURRICANE DORIAN | EM | Hurricane | 2019-09-01 |
| 3400 | HURRICANE FLORENCE | EM | Hurricane | 2018-09-10 |
| 4346 | HURRICANE IRMA | DR | Hurricane | 2017-10-16 |
| 3386 | HURRICANE IRMA | EM | Hurricane | 2017-09-07 |
| 3378 | HURRICANE MATTHEW | EM | Hurricane | 2016-10-06 |
| 3373 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2015-10-03 |
| 3369 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2014-02-12 |
| 1625 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2006-01-20 |
| 3233 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1566 | TROPICAL STORM FRANCES | DR | Hurricane | 2004-10-07 |
| 1509 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2004-02-13 |
Show 4 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1451 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2003-01-08 |
| 1313 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-01-31 |
| 881 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1990-10-22 |
| 3047 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-08-04 |
Storm Events in South Carolina
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Cherokee County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,845 | 11 | 40 | $11.4M |
| Hail | 1,207 | 0 | 0 | $25.1M |
| Flash Flood | 954 | 20 | 35 | $150.4M |
| Strong Wind | 395 | 4 | 13 | $711.8K |
| Tornado | 320 | 9 | 110 | $127.1M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
6
Total Paid
$46.1K
Avg Per Claim
$7.7K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 69.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$23.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Ice Storm Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Ice Storm
Ice storms load power lines and tree limbs with accumulating freezing rain until they fail. The characteristic cost is infrastructure and multi-day power loss across a wide area rather than structural damage to buildings, which is why their consequences often outlast the weather that caused them.
Worth noting for Cherokee County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Ice Storm carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Hurricane. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Cherokee County's closest FEMA peer: Josephine County, OR
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Cherokee County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Cherokee County shows 24 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
Cherokee County: 10 of 24 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Cherokee County: NRI composite 69.7 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Cherokee County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 24 FEMA declarations, Cherokee County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Cherokee County?
The most common disaster type in Cherokee County is Hurricane, with 11 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Ice Storm (4), Tropical Storm (2), Biological (2).
How does Cherokee County's FEMA declaration record compare with the South Carolina average?
The typical South Carolina county has 25.6 FEMA declaration records; Cherokee County has 24, or 6% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 16% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Cherokee County received?
Cherokee County has received 10 major disaster declarations, representing 42% of all 24 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Cherokee County filed?
Cherokee County has 6 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $46.1K in payments, with an average of $7.7K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Cherokee County?
No. In Cherokee County, Ice Storm has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $11.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Cherokee County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cherokee County was 2024, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cherokee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cherokee County, South Carolina has an overall risk score of 69.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $23.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cherokee County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Cherokee County as of the latest release is Ice Storm (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Strong Wind (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts ice storm here at an average of 2.1 times per year, drawn from 138 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Cherokee County
Against a South Carolina county mean of 26 declarations, Cherokee County, SC records 24, or 6% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Emergency is the largest group (14 of 24) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. South Carolina overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 66% of recorded county totals, but its own South Carolina benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- A short NFIP claims file cannot establish low flood exposure; the data guide explains the limits of each federal measure. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.