Lancaster County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lancaster County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 79.4 of 100, higher than 79% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, strong wind. Its storm record holds 583 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 | 93.1 | $1.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.8 | $2.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $6.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 | $5.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | $21M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $743K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.0 | $2.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.0 | $948K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.8 | $520K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.9 | $287K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 44.7 | $53K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.4 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 45.1 | $34K |
| Drought | Very Low | 30.2 | $26K |
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 | 285 | 1 | $2.2M | 22nd of 46 | 587th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 134 | 0 | $901K | 13th of 46 | 913th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 71 | 1 | $894K | 14th of 46 | 1658th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 46 | 0 | $146K | 13th of 46 | 2023rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 1 | $1.0M | 18th of 46 | 1805th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $82M | 43rd of 46 | 1942nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 0 | $941K | 19th of 46 | 509th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $362K | 22nd of 46 | 654th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | – | 23rd of 46 | 2672nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | $241 | 37th of 46 | 1969th 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 Lancaster County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.