Natural hazards · Clinton

Clinton, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clinton comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Clinton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clinton to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves32%Inland flooding28%Strong wind8%Tornadoes8%Earthquakes8%Hurricanes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Clinton faces

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

Cold waves

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Clinton flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Laurens County.

Disasters that hit Clinton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClintonDeclared for Laurens County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

3,453 households applied for aid $2.9M aid approved $3.5M to the City of Clinton for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

$19K to the City of Clinton for repairs

2005

Severe Ice Storm

$51K to the City of Clinton for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$37K to the City of Clinton for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$210K to the City of Clinton for repairs

Laurens County has had 17 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. Clinton 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 Clinton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Clinton. 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.