York County, South Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates York County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.7 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 756 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 | 98.6 | $4.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.9 | $23M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.4 | $4.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.1 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | $51M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $6.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 67.8 | $599K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 65.4 | $144K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.2 | $3.7M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.5 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 75.4 | $1.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.5 | $7K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $145K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 61.7 | $529K |
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 | 340 | 2 | $3.8M | 15th of 46 | 431st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 178 | 0 | $29M | 12th of 46 | 818th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 65 | 0 | $17M | 7th of 46 | 1629th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 47 | 0 | $1.0M | 11th of 46 | 1414th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 34 | 0 | – | 11th of 46 | 943rd of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 3 | $8.6M | 26th of 46 | 1354th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 20 | 2 | $593K | 7th of 46 | 239th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 2 | $225K | 13th of 46 | 1579th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $62M | 10th of 46 | 1433rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $140K | 8th of 46 | 697th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 14th of 46 | 1681st of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $1.9M | 34th of 46 | 743rd 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 York County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.