Spartanburg County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Spartanburg County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.6 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, lightning, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,272 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 | 99.1 | $3.9M |
| Lightning | Very High | 96.9 | $2.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.0 | $10M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | $53M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.6 | $6.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | $6.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.5 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.0 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 81.2 | $2.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.9 | $5K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 60.7 | $92K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.7 | $294K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59.4 | $81K |
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 | 582 | 0 | $14M | 5th of 46 | 156th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 349 | 0 | $24M | 2nd of 46 | 181st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 0 | $23M | 5th of 46 | 1490th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 75 | 2 | $13M | 4th of 46 | 1012th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 13th of 46 | 1038th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 4 | $50M | 16th of 46 | 1121st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 34 | 2 | $2.7M | 3rd of 46 | 145th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 28 | 0 | $1.1M | 8th of 46 | 1244th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 1 | $70M | 8th of 46 | 1335th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | $53K | 7th of 46 | 626th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 1 | – | 29th of 46 | 2006th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 4 | $33M | 45th of 46 | 877th 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 Spartanburg County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.