Dorchester County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dorchester County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.7 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 957 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 | Relatively High | 97.9 | $84M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.4 | $658K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.7 | $1.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.9 | $58M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.7 | $23M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | $3.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.0 | $149K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.9 | $2.4M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.0 | $454K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.2 | $1.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 59.2 | $542K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $273K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 18.7 | $204K |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.7 | $22K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 14.0 | $66 |
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 | 507 | 0 | $826K | 9th of 46 | 242nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 185 | 0 | $4K | 10th of 46 | 631st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 74 | 0 | $8.8M | 5th of 46 | 1023rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 0 | $69K | 3rd of 46 | 867th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 1 | – | 32nd of 46 | 2555th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 25 | 0 | $291K | 3rd of 46 | 183rd of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $17M | 29th of 46 | 1456th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 15th of 46 | 1195th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $250K | 5th of 46 | 196th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 5th of 46 | 1305th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 15th of 46 | 2070th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $633 | 26th of 46 | 1552nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $690K | 4th of 46 | 635th 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 Dorchester County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.