Natural Disasters in Charleston, SC
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
98.6
Relatively High
Expected Annual Loss
99.0
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
22.4
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
96.1
Score (0-100)
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster History & Federal Spending
Source: FEMATotal Declarations
29
Public Assistance
$66.3M
Individual Assistance
$12.0M
Most Common Type
Hurricane
17 declarations
| Disaster | Type | Date | PA $ | IA $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm → | Winter Storm | Jan 2026 | — | — |
| Tropical Storm Debby → | Tropical Storm | Sep 2024 | $1.6M | — |
| Hurricane Helene → | Hurricane | Sep 2024 | $1.3M | — |
| Hurricane Debby → | Tropical Storm | Aug 2024 | — | — |
| Hurricane Idalia → | Hurricane | Aug 2023 | $189K | — |
| Hurricane Ian → | Hurricane | Nov 2022 | $5.9M | $512K |
| Hurricane Ian → | Hurricane | Sep 2022 | — | — |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds → | Severe Storm | May 2020 | $523K | $5K |
| Covid-19 Pandemic → | Biological | Mar 2020 | $4.5M | $5.8M |
| Covid-19 → | Biological | Mar 2020 | — | — |
| Hurricane Dorian → | Hurricane | Sep 2019 | $5.3M | — |
| Hurricane Dorian → | Hurricane | Sep 2019 | — | — |
| Hurricane Florence → | Hurricane | Sep 2018 | $8.9M | — |
| Hurricane Florence → | Hurricane | Sep 2018 | — | — |
| Hurricane Irma → | Hurricane | Oct 2017 | $910K | — |
| Hurricane Irma → | Hurricane | Sep 2017 | — | — |
| Hurricane Matthew → | Hurricane | Oct 2016 | $14.5M | $1.3M |
| Hurricane Matthew → | Hurricane | Oct 2016 | — | — |
| Severe Storms and Flooding → | Flood | Oct 2015 | $12.2M | $3.9M |
| Severe Storms and Flooding → | Severe Storm | Oct 2015 | — | — |
Showing 20 of 34 disasters
PA = FEMA Public Assistance (infrastructure recovery). IA = Individual Assistance (homeowner/renter aid).
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
618
Total Claims Paid
$8,722,761
Avg Claim Payout
$14,115
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Hazard Mitigation
Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation AssistanceMitigation Projects
92
Federal Funding
$32,198,287
Properties Protected
82
Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio
144.69
BCR
Top Mitigation Project Types
| Project Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|
| 205.8: Retrofitting Public Structures - Wind | 12 | $4,414,345 |
| 601.1: Generators | 11 | $565,017 |
| 90.4: Mitigation Plan - Local Multihazard Mitigation Plan | 6 | $187,500 |
| 200.1: Acquisition of Private Real Property (Structures and Land) - Riverine | 5 | $2,897,228 |
| 91.1: Local Multihazard Mitigation Plan | 4 | $93,230 |
Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.
Charleston has a relatively high overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are coastal flood, hurricane, earthquake. The area has had 29 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (17 declarations). 618 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $66,327,357 in public assistance recovery funding. $11,972,620 has been distributed in individual assistance to disaster-affected residents. 92 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.