Natural Disasters in Isle of Palms, SC

Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data

Natural Hazard Risk

Source: FEMA National Risk Index

Risk 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)

Top Hazard Risks

Coastal Flood99.8Hurricane99.6Earthquake98.8

Hazard	Risk Score
Coastal Flood	99.8
Hurricane	99.6
Earthquake	98.8
Ice Storm	94.5
Wildfire	93.9
Lightning	92.6
Cold Wave	87.1
Winter Weather	84.2
Heat Wave	82.7
Strong Wind	82.5
Tornado	71.0
Hail	60.9
Landslide	37.7
Drought	35.4

Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.

Disaster Declarations

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA

Total Declarations

Most Recent

Winter Storm

Jan 2026

Most Common Type

Hurricane

16 declarations

Date	Type	Declaration
Jan 23, 2026	Winter Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORM
Aug 5, 2024	Tropical Storm	HURRICANE DEBBY
Aug 31, 2023	Hurricane	HURRICANE IDALIA
Nov 21, 2022	Hurricane	HURRICANE IAN
Sep 29, 2022	Hurricane	HURRICANE IAN
Mar 27, 2020	Biological	COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Mar 13, 2020	Biological	COVID-19
Sep 30, 2019	Hurricane	HURRICANE DORIAN
Sep 1, 2019	Hurricane	HURRICANE DORIAN
Sep 16, 2018	Hurricane	HURRICANE FLORENCE
Sep 10, 2018	Hurricane	HURRICANE FLORENCE
Oct 16, 2017	Hurricane	HURRICANE IRMA
Sep 7, 2017	Hurricane	HURRICANE IRMA
Oct 11, 2016	Hurricane	HURRICANE MATTHEW
Oct 6, 2016	Hurricane	HURRICANE MATTHEW
Oct 5, 2015	Flood	SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING
Oct 3, 2015	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING
Feb 12, 2014	Severe Ice Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORM
Sep 10, 2005	Hurricane	HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION
Oct 7, 2004	Hurricane	TROPICAL STORM FRANCES

Showing 20 of 26 declarations

Flood Insurance (NFIP)

Source: FEMA NFIP

Total Claims

19,281

Total Claims Paid

$312,192,964

Avg Claim Payout

$16,192

County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.

Disaster Recovery Spending

Source: FEMA Public Assistance

Total Federal Spending

$139,719,647

Disasters with PA

Total Projects

557

Disaster	Type	Projects	Federal $
DR-4492	Biological	32	$81,074,568
DR-4286	Hurricane	101	$18,880,132
DR-4464	Hurricane	64	$14,411,995
DR-4346	Other	55	$8,453,784
DR-4241	Flood	62	$4,574,641
DR-1299	Hurricane	94	$4,113,887
DR-4677	Hurricane	47	$3,680,871
DR-1547	Severe Storm(s)	52	$1,998,033
DR-4394	Hurricane	35	$1,952,088
DR-3597	Hurricane	10	$446,843
DR-4166	Severe Ice Storm	1	$63,420
DR-3233	Hurricane	3	$51,670
DR-3606	Tropical Storm	1	$17,717

Hazard Mitigation

Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance

Mitigation Projects

Federal Funding

$32,198,287

Properties Protected

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.

Isle of Palms 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 26 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (16 declarations). 19,281 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $139,719,647 in public assistance recovery funding. 92 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.