Natural hazards · Burton

Burton, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burton comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Burton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes77%Earthquakes8%Inland flooding6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Burton 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

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Burton flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Beaufort County.

Disasters that hit Burton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurtonDeclared for Beaufort County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

9 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

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

Around Burton

Burton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Burtonmostly hurricanesVery high

Beaufortmostly hurricanesVery high

Port Royalmostly hurricanesVery high

Shell Pointmostly hurricanesVery high

Laurel Baymostly 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. Burton 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 Burton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Burton. 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.