Greenville County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Greenville County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 94.0 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,561 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 | Very High | 99.6 | $6.3M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.3 | $3.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.6 | $20M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.0 | $104M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.8 | $15M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.3 | $2.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $9.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.1 | $2.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.3 | $2.1M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $3.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.2 | $17K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $91K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.3 | $149K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.1 | $73K |
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 | 579 | 3 | $6.4M | 3rd of 46 | 141st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 429 | 0 | $1.2M | 1st of 46 | 129th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 185 | 0 | $23M | 4th of 46 | 1083rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 124 | 2 | $15M | 3rd of 46 | 593rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 79 | 0 | – | 12th of 46 | 947th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 0 | $985K | 5th of 46 | 1009th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 0 | $52M | 13th of 46 | 930th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 4 | $70M | 4th of 46 | 950th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | – | 5th of 46 | 526th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $1.5M | 17th of 46 | 482nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 4 | $14M | 44th of 46 | 869th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 4 | 2 | – | 21st of 46 | 1869th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 1st of 46 | 315th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Greenville County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.