Natural hazards · Barnwell

Barnwell, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barnwell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Barnwell?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barnwell to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding26%Hurricanes26%Earthquakes21%Tornadoes13%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Barnwell faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 56 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Barnwell flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Barnwell.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Barnwell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Barnwell County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Barnwell

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Barnwell itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Barnwell.

Brought FEMA money into BarnwellDeclared for Barnwell County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

1,487 households applied for aid $910K aid approved

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

43 households applied for aid $131K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

61 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $34K to the City of Barnwell for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$28K to the City of Barnwell for repairs

Barnwell County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Barnwell is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Barnwell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Barnwell. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.