Richland County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Richland County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.1 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,512 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 | Very High | 98.4 | $3.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96.3 | $2.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.1 | $3.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.0 | $12M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 94.6 | $74M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.4 | $19M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.4 | $318K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.7 | $6.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.8 | $11M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 89.8 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $4.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 85.0 | $31K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $179K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.6 | $61K |
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 | 824 | 3 | $4.6M | 2nd of 46 | 111th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 260 | 9 | $40M | 2nd of 46 | 307th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 231 | 0 | $79K | 8th of 46 | 517th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 45 | 0 | $1.4M | 1st of 46 | 305th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 1 | $32M | 8th of 46 | 696th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 31 | 2 | $1.4M | 20th of 46 | 1818th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 0 | – | 28th of 46 | 2487th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 24 | 0 | $6.0M | 8th of 46 | 245th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 19 | 1 | $18M | 13th of 46 | 462nd of 1,849 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | – | 19th of 46 | 1851st 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 Richland County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.