Cherokee County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cherokee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.7 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 568 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 | Relatively High | 91.4 | $877K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $3.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $3.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | $530K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 74.2 | $886K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 72.5 | $12M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 71.0 | $537K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 54.6 | $263K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 51.5 | $331K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $116K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29.4 | $24K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 55.9 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 37.5 | $18K |
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 | 251 | 2 | $2.6M | 4th of 46 | 152nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 119 | 0 | $2.1M | 5th of 46 | 313th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 78 | 0 | $18M | 2nd of 46 | 770th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 36 | 0 | – | 1st of 46 | 384th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 0 | $26M | 11th of 46 | 873rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 15 | 0 | $805K | 21st of 46 | 1929th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 0 | $835K | 9th of 46 | 1297th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $2.0M | 6th of 46 | 200th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $98M | 3rd of 46 | 949th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $125K | 18th of 46 | 1054th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 20th of 46 | 1868th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $4.7M | 31st of 46 | 703rd 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 Cherokee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.