Charleston County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Charleston County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.6 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake. Its storm record holds 1,975 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 99.8 | $36M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.6 | $281M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.8 | $118M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.5 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.6 | $1.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | $3.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $44M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 | $6.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 | $301K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.7 | $2.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.5 | $1.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $3.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.9 | $451K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 35.4 | $50K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.7 | $650 |
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 | 624 | 0 | $1.5M | 24th of 46 | 604th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 595 | 1 | $26M | 1st of 46 | 223rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 300 | 0 | $53K | 18th of 46 | 1086th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 99 | 0 | $26M | 2nd of 46 | 149th of 1,849 |
| High wind and dust storms | 88 | 3 | $140K | 2nd of 46 | 740th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 61 | 0 | $32M | 7th of 46 | 683rd of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 49 | 5 | $268K | 1st of 46 | 45th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 47 | 2 | $1.8M | 2nd of 46 | 133rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 35 | 2 | $309K | 37th of 46 | 2732nd of 3,077 |
| Heat | 24 | 7 | – | 2nd of 46 | 981st of 3,076 |
| Drought | 20 | 0 | – | 18th of 46 | 1582nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 1 | $14K | 19th of 46 | 1055th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 1 | – | 16th of 46 | 2124th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $2.6M | 1st of 46 | 558th 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 Charleston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.