Natural hazards · Centenary

Centenary, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Centenary comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high 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 Centenary?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Centenary to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes44%Inland flooding20%Cold waves20%Tornadoes7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Centenary faces

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

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Centenary flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

Disasters that hit Centenary

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CentenaryDeclared for Marion County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

4 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

19 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Marion 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. Centenary 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 Centenary’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Centenary. 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.