FEMA Records
7
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
South Carolina · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Richland County, SC
7 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 7
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 93
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Richland County in the top 7% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 86% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Richland County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the South Carolina county average and the national county average.
- Richland County
- 7
- South Carolina county avg
- 7.4
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Richland County?
Richland County, South Carolina has recorded 7 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.8 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 5% below the South Carolina county average of 7.4 and 87% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 4 of 7 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Moderate (composite score 93.1/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Moderate equivalent to roughly $137.8M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively Low and community resilience scores Relatively High - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Ice Storm (Very High).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Richland County at a moderate relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Richland County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. South Carolina Avg
-5%
State avg: 7.4
vs. National Avg
+87%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.8
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Richland County
The radar plots Richland County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
45079
SC state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 7 FEMA disaster declarations in Richland County by incident type.
Hurricane 4
Tropical Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 5 71.4%
of all 7 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 28.6%
of all 7 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Richland County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 7 FEMA disaster declarations for Richland County, South Carolina.
| 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 |
Storm Events in South Carolina
NOAA severe weather data for South Carolina (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 6,347 | 11 | 43 | $11.9M |
| Hail | 1,288 | 0 | 0 | $25.1M |
| Flash Flood | 1,077 | 20 | 35 | $150.5M |
| Strong Wind | 404 | 4 | 13 | $721.8K |
| Tornado | 329 | 9 | 110 | $127.1M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Richland County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 93.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$137.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Richland County.
Ice Storm Very High
Lightning Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Drought 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
Counties with Similar Risk in South Carolina
Other South Carolina counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Richland County, South Carolina had?
Richland County, South Carolina has received 7 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Richland County?
The most common disaster type in Richland County is Hurricane, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (2), Winter Storm (1).
How does Richland County's disaster risk compare to the South Carolina average?
Richland County has 7 disaster declarations, which is 5% lower than the South Carolina county average of 7.4 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 87% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Richland County received?
Richland County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 29% of all 7 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in South Carolina?
The most common storm types in South Carolina include Thunderstorm Wind (6,347 events), Hail (1,288 events), Flash Flood (1,077 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Richland County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Richland County was 2024, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Richland County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Richland County has a moderate disaster risk level with 7 total declarations. This county has a moderate number of disaster declarations.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Richland County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Richland County, South Carolina has an overall risk score of 93.1 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $137.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Richland County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Richland County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively High) and Strong Wind (Relatively High). 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.
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 Richland County
Richland County, SC has 7 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 5% below the South Carolina county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (5 of 7) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. South Carolina overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
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. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.