Pickens County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pickens County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.6 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning. Its storm record holds 918 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 | 93.9 | $1.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.7 | $1.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.0 | $23M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | $4.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 79.7 | $1.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.1 | $2.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.5 | $15K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.7 | $615K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 66.3 | $470K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 60.7 | $587K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 55.4 | $1.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 37.9 | $54K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 50.9 | $49K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 20.4 | $18K |
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 | 321 | 2 | $1.2M | 6th of 46 | 167th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 171 | 0 | $1.3M | 4th of 46 | 299th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 163 | 0 | $19M | 1st of 46 | 741st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 77 | 0 | – | 4th of 46 | 508th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 47 | 2 | $14M | 6th of 46 | 1143rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 0 | $867K | 1st of 46 | 647th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 0 | $13M | 5th of 46 | 527th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 0 | $70M | 1st of 46 | 712th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $18K | 6th of 46 | 574th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $98K | 20th of 46 | 597th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $466K | 36th of 46 | 763rd of 1,849 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | – | 28th of 46 | 1977th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 8th of 46 | 886th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Pickens County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.