Fairfield County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Fairfield County's overall risk Very Low (score 40.8 of 100, higher than 40% 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 472 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 | 87.1 | $475K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $1.7M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.3 | $684K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.5 | $504K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.3 | $587K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 53.1 | $175K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 49.9 | $364K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 42.6 | $3.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 33.5 | $329K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 54.5 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 45.9 | $24K |
| Hail | Very Low | 32.2 | $87K |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.5 | $12K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 20.9 | $12K |
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 | 300 | 0 | $616K | 30th of 46 | 719th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 88 | 0 | $279K | 40th of 46 | 1754th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 6 | $79M | 18th of 46 | 1148th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 0 | $21K | 24th of 46 | 2377th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $115K | 37th of 46 | 2249th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 7 | 0 | $1.3M | 44th of 46 | 2720th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $1.4M | 30th of 46 | 661st of 1,849 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | – | 32nd of 46 | 2258th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Fairfield County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.