Natural hazards · Ladson

Ladson, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ladson comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1989. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ladson?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ladson to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and earthquakes.

Hurricanes49%Earthquakes31%Inland flooding13%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Ladson faces

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

Hurricanes

49% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ladson flood?

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

36paid claims since 1989

$516Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

October severe storms: 22 claims, $280K
Hurricane Matthew: 3 claims, $22K
Hurricane Debby: 2 claims, $26K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Berkeley County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Ladson

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LadsonDeclared for Berkeley County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

5 households applied for aid

2022

Hurricane Ian

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

3 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

303 households applied for aid $226K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

661 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

9 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

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

Around Ladson

Ladson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ladsonmostly hurricanesVery high

North Charlestonmostly hurricanesVery high

Sangareemostly hurricanesVery high

Goose Creekmostly 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. Ladson covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ladson’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Ladson. 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 Ladson total about $17.7M 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.