Natural hazards · Port Royal

Port Royal, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Port Royal comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2016. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Port Royal?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Port Royal to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes80%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Port Royal faces

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

Hurricanes

80% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Inland floodingCoastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Port Royal flood?

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

3paid claims since 2016

$21Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 1 claim, $1K
Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $19K

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Port Royal is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Beaufort County.

Disasters that hit Port Royal

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Port RoyalDeclared for Beaufort County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

122 households applied for aid $117K aid approved $49K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$16K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$16K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

161 households applied for aid $64K aid approved $97K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$12K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs

Beaufort County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Port Royal

Port Royal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Port Royalmostly hurricanesVery high

Burtonmostly hurricanesVery high

Shell Pointmostly hurricanesVery high

Beaufortmostly 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. Port Royal covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Port Royal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Port Royal. 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 Port Royal total about $10.8M 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.