Laurens County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Laurens County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 76.2 of 100, higher than 76% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, ice storm, strong wind. Its storm record holds 671 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.1 | $7.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.9 | $777K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.3 | $1.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | $582K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 65.2 | $1.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.9 | $1.5M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 76.8 | $954K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 73.6 | $821K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $11M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.0 | $388K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.3 | $113K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $33K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 51.3 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 49.1 | $34K |
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 | 339 | 3 | $4.1M | 16th of 46 | 450th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 143 | 0 | $106K | 23rd of 46 | 1129th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 50 | 0 | $13M | 12th of 46 | 1992nd of 3,077 |
| Drought | 38 | 0 | – | 10th of 46 | 886th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 33 | 0 | $330K | 17th of 46 | 1702nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $94M | 32nd of 46 | 1501st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 1 | $73K | 23rd of 46 | 1958th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 1 | $62M | 12th of 46 | 1575th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 26th of 46 | 835th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 1 | – | 23rd of 46 | 1273rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 1 | – | 27th of 46 | 1958th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 3 | $24M | 42nd of 46 | 851st 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 Laurens County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.