Natural hazards · Lamar

Lamar, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lamar comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lamar?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lamar to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding28%Hurricanes21%Earthquakes16%Tornadoes15%Cold waves6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Lamar faces

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

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Earthquakes

16% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Lamar flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Lamar.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Darlington County.

Disasters that hit Lamar

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LamarDeclared for Darlington County only

2018

Hurricane Florence

47 households applied for aid $12K aid approved $13K to the Town of Lamar for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

242 households applied for aid $76K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

491 households applied for aid $388K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

258 households applied for aid $93K aid approved

Darlington County has had 18 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. Lamar 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 Lamar’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Lamar. 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.