Natural hazards · Edisto Beach

Edisto Beach, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Edisto Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 462 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Edisto Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Edisto Beach to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes52%Coastal flooding21%Inland flooding13%Earthquakes9%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Edisto Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

21% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Edisto Beach flood?

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

462paid claims since 1979

$4.4Mpaid to owners

51homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 189 claims, $2.7M
Hurricane Irma: 38 claims, $482K
Hurricane Hugo: 12 claims, $30K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Edisto Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Colleton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Edisto Beach

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Edisto Beach itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Edisto Beach.

Brought FEMA money into Edisto BeachDeclared for Colleton County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

$28K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$54K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

$4K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

3 households applied for aid

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$552K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

$36K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$711K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

44 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $2.5M to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $1.1M to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$53K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs

Colleton County has had 16 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. Edisto Beach 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 Edisto Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Edisto Beach. 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.