Georgetown County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Georgetown County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.5 of 100, higher than 92% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 485 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 | Very High | 98.3 | $64M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96.0 | $1.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.4 | $3.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | $4.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | $230K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $12M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 54.8 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 54.6 | $55K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $210K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 49.9 | $692K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 27.1 | $190K |
| Drought | Very Low | 28.0 | $14K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 13.7 | $37 |
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 | 173 | 0 | $1.3M | 45th of 46 | 1842nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 97 | 0 | $178K | 42nd of 46 | 2085th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 63 | 2 | $4.0M | 16th of 46 | 1682nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 28 | 0 | $46M | 5th of 46 | 255th of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 6 | $13M | 44th of 46 | 2045th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 1 | $2.3M | 3rd of 46 | 471st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $51K | 27th of 46 | 2072nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 18 | 0 | – | 41st of 46 | 2772nd of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 17 | 1 | $912K | 11th of 46 | 345th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 7 | 6 | – | 6th of 46 | 115th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 23rd of 46 | 1886th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 6 | 0 | – | 27th of 46 | 2098th of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 2nd of 46 | 614th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 27th of 46 | 2738th 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 Georgetown County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.