Natural hazards · Carolina Forest

Carolina Forest, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carolina Forest comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1989.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carolina Forest?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carolina Forest to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes62%Inland flooding17%Tornadoes8%Earthquakes5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Carolina Forest faces

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

Hurricanes

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce 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 Carolina Forest flood?

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

12paid claims since 1989

$437Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 5 claims, $151K
October severe storms: 3 claims, $163K
December Nor'easter: 2 claims, $61K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Horry County.

Disasters that hit Carolina Forest

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Horry County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Carolina Forest itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Carolina ForestDeclared for Horry County only

Horry County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Carolina Forest

Carolina Forest and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carolina Forestmostly hurricanesVery high

Conwaymostly 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. Carolina Forest covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carolina Forest’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Carolina Forest. 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 Carolina Forest total about $13.6M 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.