Florence County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Florence County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.6 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, tornado, ice storm. Its storm record holds 686 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 | 96.0 | $23M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.6 | $8.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.7 | $597K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.6 | $770K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $6.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.0 | $2.9M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.0 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $18M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $152K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | $869K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $1.6M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 86.5 | $656K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.1 | $109K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 39.2 | $496 |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 362 | 0 | $2.3M | 40th of 46 | 957th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 151 | 0 | $52M | 22nd of 46 | 1123rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 57 | 2 | $17M | 20th of 46 | 1910th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 0 | $10M | 15th of 46 | 1098th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 25 | 0 | $7.5M | 30th of 46 | 2513th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 16 | 1 | $1.4M | 12th of 46 | 366th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 0 | $783K | 31st of 46 | 2134th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 8 | 0 | – | 25th of 46 | 2005th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 12th of 46 | 871st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 22nd of 46 | 1876th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 2 | – | 32nd of 46 | 706th 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 Florence County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.