Sumter County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sumter County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.7 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 703 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 88.4 | $1.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.7 | $451K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.9 | $9.8M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.1 | $5.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $997K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | $1.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 79.0 | $612K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.3 | $15M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | $2.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.7 | $1.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.0 | $83K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.0 | $326K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 47.6 | $110K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 40.1 | $589 |
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 | 426 | 1 | $2.5M | 12th of 46 | 356th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 138 | 0 | $900K | 15th of 46 | 958th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 34 | 0 | $148K | 29th of 46 | 2218th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 31 | 0 | – | 27th of 46 | 2441st of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 1 | $10M | 24th of 46 | 1324th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 0 | $894K | 11th of 46 | 402nd of 1,849 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $1.9M | 26th of 46 | 2054th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $241 | 14th of 46 | 938th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $2.3M | 23rd of 46 | 685th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | – | 31st of 46 | 2254th 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 Sumter County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.