Natural hazards · Beaufort

Beaufort, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beaufort comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 134 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Beaufort?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beaufort to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes77%Earthquakes10%Inland flooding6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Beaufort faces

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

Hurricanes

77% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Beaufort flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Beaufort, from FEMA’s records.

134paid claims since 1979

$2.9Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 46 claims, $1.2M
Hurricane Irma: 37 claims, $1.3M
October severe storms: 1 claim, $15K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Beaufort is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Beaufort County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Beaufort

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeaufortDeclared for Beaufort County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

1,874 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $537K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$108K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2023

Hurricane Idalia

$62K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

$39K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$66K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$99K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

1,968 households applied for aid $770K aid approved $471K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$65K to the City of Beaufort for repairs

Beaufort County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Beaufort

Beaufort and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Beaufortmostly hurricanesVery high

Burtonmostly hurricanesVery high

Port Royalmostly hurricanesVery high

Laurel Baymostly hurricanesVery high

Seabrookmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Beaufort covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Beaufort total about $23.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.