Anderson County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Anderson County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.2 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, cold wave, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,016 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 95.5 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.9 | $13M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.5 | $1.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.8 | $7.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.7 | $2.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | $33M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.0 | $1.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 87.4 | $3.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.4 | $1.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 78.0 | $1.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.6 | $153K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.8 | $40K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.0 | $3K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 47.4 | $42K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 516 | 2 | $7.0M | 7th of 46 | 168th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 226 | 0 | $410K | 7th of 46 | 485th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 59 | 1 | $3.5M | 9th of 46 | 1251st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 59 | 0 | $21M | 11th of 46 | 1889th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 42 | 0 | – | 7th of 46 | 784th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 0 | $22M | 19th of 46 | 1152nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 1 | $280K | 12th of 46 | 1478th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $10M | 9th of 46 | 256th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 6 | $64M | 7th of 46 | 1210th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $2K | 9th of 46 | 722nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 4 | – | 15th of 46 | 1719th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | $6.6M | 43rd of 46 | 852nd of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Anderson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.