Natural hazards · Elgin

Elgin, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elgin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elgin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elgin to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding37%Hurricanes15%Tornadoes12%Strong wind9%Cold waves9%Heat waves7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Elgin faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Elgin flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kershaw County.

Disasters that hit Elgin

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElginDeclared for Kershaw County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

682 households applied for aid $316K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

518 households applied for aid $367K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Kershaw County has had 20 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. Elgin 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 Elgin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Elgin. 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.