Natural hazards · Kingstree

Kingstree, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kingstree comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 2010. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kingstree?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kingstree to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes43%Inland flooding26%Earthquakes19%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Kingstree faces

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

Hurricanes

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Kingstree flood?

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

25paid claims since 2010

$1.4Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

20102026

Biggest named events

October severe storms: 15 claims, $1.2M
Hurricane Matthew: 4 claims, $90K
Hurricane Idalia: 1 claim, $89K

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. Kingstree isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Williamsburg County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Kingstree

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KingstreeDeclared for Williamsburg County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

5 households applied for aid

2016

Hurricane Matthew

939 households applied for aid $922K aid approved $68K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

2,471 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved $95K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$101K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

971 households applied for aid $493K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Gaston

$6K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

2004

Severe Ice Storm

$108K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$20K to the Town of Kingstree for repairs

Williamsburg County has had 19 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. Kingstree 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 Kingstree’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kingstree. 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.