Kershaw County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kershaw County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 66.7 of 100, higher than 66% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 547 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.4 | $1.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.0 | $472K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 86.1 | $3.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 72.9 | $2.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.5 | $445K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.3 | $1.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 76.9 | $1.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $156K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $9.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.6 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.6 | $265K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 43.2 | $47K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.8 | $2K |
| Drought | Very Low | 23.7 | $9K |
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 | 327 | 1 | $3.8M | 28th of 46 | 689th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 130 | 0 | $756K | 20th of 46 | 1107th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 33 | 0 | $31K | 23rd of 46 | 2342nd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $72M | 39th of 46 | 1879th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 17 | 1 | $242K | 33rd of 46 | 2375th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $786K | 43rd of 46 | 2547th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $2.8M | 26th of 46 | 608th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $743K | 36th of 46 | 1385th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 2 | – | 33rd of 46 | 2271st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 40th of 46 | 2125th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Kershaw County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.