Natural hazards · Newberry

Newberry, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Newberry comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Newberry?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Newberry to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes18%Earthquakes12%Cold waves8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Newberry faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% 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 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 Newberry flood?

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

21paid claims since 1982

$149Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Cindy: 4 claims, $22K

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

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

Insurance rates: Newberry County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Newberry

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NewberryDeclared for Newberry County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

4,058 households applied for aid $3.3M aid approved $2.8M to the City of Newberry for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

412 households applied for aid $112K aid approved $117K to the City of Newberry for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

2 households applied for aid $359 aid approved

2004

Severe Ice Storm

$29K to the City of Newberry for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$39K to the City of Newberry for repairs

Newberry 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. Newberry 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 Newberry’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Newberry. 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.