Natural hazards · Fairfax

Fairfax, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfax comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2023. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairfax?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfax to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes46%Inland flooding15%Earthquakes11%Heat waves10%Tornadoes9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Fairfax faces

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

Hurricanes

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

15% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Fairfax flood?

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

3paid claims since 2023

$278Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20232026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Idalia: 1 claim, $203K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Allendale County.

Disasters that hit Fairfax

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfaxDeclared for Allendale County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

655 households applied for aid $593K aid approved $23K to the Town of Fairfax for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

71 households applied for aid $29K aid approved $11K to the Town of Fairfax for repairs

Allendale County has had 15 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. Fairfax 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 Fairfax’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Fairfax. 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.