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Natural hazards · Greenville

Greenville, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Greenville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 112 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Greenville?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Greenville to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes12%Earthquakes10%Cold waves7%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Greenville faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Greenville flood?

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

112paid claims since 1978
$4.1Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Helene: 19 claims, $787K
  • October severe storms: 2 claims, $10K
  • Hurricane Cindy: 2 claims, $32K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Greenville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Greenville County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
3buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters that hit Greenville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GreenvilleDeclared for Greenville County only
2024

Hurricane Helene

46,936 households applied for aid $33.4M aid approved $8.4M to the City of Greenville for repairs
2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$395K to the City of Greenville for repairs
2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

155 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $7K to the City of Greenville for repairs
2005

Severe Ice Storm

$2.0M to the City of Greenville for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$488K to the City of Greenville for repairs
2004

Tropical Storm Frances

26 households applied for aid $37K aid approved
2002

Severe Ice Storm

$225K to the City of Greenville for repairs
Greenville County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and ice storms.
Around Greenville

Greenville and the towns around it

Gantt: Low, mostly inland floodingWade Hampton: Low, mostly inland floodingParker: Low, mostly inland floodingDunean: Low, mostly inland floodingCity View: Moderate, mostly inland floodingConestee: Low, mostly inland floodingJudson: Very low, mostly inland floodingMauldin: Low, mostly inland floodingSans Souci: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTaylors: High, mostly inland floodingBerea: Low, mostly inland floodingWelcome: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGreenville: Low, mostly inland flooding GreenvilleGanttWade HamptonParkerDuneanCity ViewConesteeJudsonMauldinSans Souci
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
City Viewmostly inland floodingModerate
Sans Soucimostly inland floodingModerate
Parkermostly inland floodingLow
Duneanmostly inland floodingLow
Greenvillemostly inland floodingLow
Wade Hamptonmostly inland floodingLow
Mauldinmostly inland floodingLow
Ganttmostly inland floodingLow
Conesteemostly inland floodingLow
Judsonmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Greenville covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Greenville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Greenville. 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 Greenville total about $22.8M 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.

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