Natural hazards · Murrells Inlet

Murrells Inlet, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Murrells Inlet comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2015. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Murrells Inlet?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Murrells Inlet to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes81%Inland flooding10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Murrells Inlet faces

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

Hurricanes

81% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

LandslidesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Murrells Inlet flood?

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

3paid claims since 2015

$257Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20152026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Florence: 2 claims, $219K
October severe storms: 1 claim, $38K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Georgetown County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Murrells Inlet

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Murrells InletDeclared for Georgetown County only

2022

Hurricane Ian

159 households applied for aid $210K aid approved

2018

Hurricane Florence

149 households applied for aid $62K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

361 households applied for aid $204K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

229 households applied for aid $143K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

6 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Georgetown 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. Murrells Inlet covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Murrells Inlet’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Murrells Inlet. 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 Murrells Inlet total about $5.2M 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.