Natural hazards · Blacksburg

Blacksburg, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Blacksburg to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes14%Cold waves11%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Blacksburg faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 56 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Blacksburg flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cherokee County.

Disasters that hit Blacksburg

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BlacksburgDeclared for Cherokee County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

1,529 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $88K to the Town of Blacksburg for repairs

2005

Severe Ice Storm

$4K to the Town of Blacksburg for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$10K to the Town of Blacksburg for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$2K to the Town of Blacksburg for repairs

Cherokee County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and ice 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. Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Blacksburg. 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.

Blacksburg, SC natural hazards

How exposed is Blacksburg?

What Blacksburg faces

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Cold waves

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Blacksburg flood?

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Hurricane Helene

Severe Ice Storm

Severe Ice Storm

Severe Winter Storm

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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