Natural hazards · Clemson

Clemson, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clemson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1998. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clemson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clemson to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Cold waves6%Everything else22%

By hazard

What Clemson faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Clemson flood?

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

9paid claims since 1998

$75Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pickens County.

Disasters that hit Clemson

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClemsonDeclared for Pickens County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

572 households applied for aid $208K aid approved $1.3M to the City of Clemson for repairs

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

23 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2005

Severe Ice Storm

$55K to the City of Clemson for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

1 household applied for aid $7K aid approved

Pickens County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Clemson

Clemson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Clemsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Pendletonmostly inland floodingLow

Centralmostly inland floodingLow

Clemson Universitymostly inland floodingVery low

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. Clemson covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clemson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clemson. 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 Clemson total about $4.1M 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.