Oconee County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Oconee County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.6 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 952 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 | 98.5 | $20M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.5 | $791K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.1 | $665K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.1 | $16M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $3.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $640K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $726K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 85.5 | $25K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.2 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 72.8 | $601K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 65.5 | $587K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.9 | $85K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 63.4 | $84K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 23.8 | $17K |
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 | 330 | 0 | $2.0M | 11th of 46 | 320th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 209 | 0 | $820K | 6th of 46 | 469th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 162 | 0 | $14M | 3rd of 46 | 978th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 81 | 0 | – | 6th of 46 | 656th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 1 | $888K | 4th of 46 | 951st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 34 | 0 | $2.8M | 15th of 46 | 1679th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 1 | $139M | 20th of 46 | 1214th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 2 | $70M | 2nd of 46 | 859th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $1.1M | 14th of 46 | 386th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $14K | 17th of 46 | 1014th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $5K | 41st of 46 | 818th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 3 | 1 | – | 24th of 46 | 1901st 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 Oconee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.