Natural hazards · Folly Beach

Folly Beach, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Folly Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 919 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Folly Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Folly Beach to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes60%Coastal flooding18%Earthquakes9%Inland flooding8%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Folly Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

18% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Folly Beach flood?

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

919paid claims since 1978

$18.2Mpaid to owners

50homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Hugo: 550 claims, $13.9M
Hurricane Irma: 55 claims, $1.5M
October severe storms: 39 claims, $810K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 35% off flood insurance. Folly Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 3) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Charleston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Folly Beach

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Folly BeachDeclared for Charleston County only

2022

Hurricane Ian

4 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $36K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$96K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

$58K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$111K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

19 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $265K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

78 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $45K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Gaston

$27K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$39K to the City of Folly Beach for repairs

Charleston County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Folly Beach

Folly Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Charlestonmostly hurricanesVery high

Folly Beachmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Folly Beach covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Folly Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Folly Beach. 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 Folly Beach total about $7.6M 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.