Berkeley County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Berkeley County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.8 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.3 | $116M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.0 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.9 | $941K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.7 | $53M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.8 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.7 | $25M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $2.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $4.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 77.9 | $4.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.2 | $219K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 70.4 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.0 | $614K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 51.5 | $2K |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.4 | $7K |
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 | 475 | 1 | $1.7M | 42nd of 46 | 1139th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 336 | 0 | $122K | 14th of 46 | 957th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 80 | 1 | $6.0M | 13th of 46 | 1601st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 1 | $15M | 35th of 46 | 1622nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 2 | $116K | 14th of 46 | 1636th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 36 | 0 | $1.9M | 7th of 46 | 299th of 1,849 |
| Winter storms | 36 | 2 | $407K | 42nd of 46 | 2781st of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 26 | 1 | $598K | 13th of 46 | 367th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 22nd of 46 | 1678th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 11 | 2 | – | 6th of 46 | 1484th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 19th of 46 | 2448th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 29th of 46 | 1714th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $10K | 7th of 46 | 748th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Berkeley County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.