Natural hazards · St. George

St. George, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. George comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1993. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is St. George?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. George to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and earthquakes.

Hurricanes56%Earthquakes26%Inland flooding11%Everything else7%

By hazard

What St. George faces

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

Hurricanes

56% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 St. George flood?

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

5paid claims since 1993

$37Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Idalia: 1 claim, $2K
Hurricane Matthew: 1 claim, $20K
Hurricane Debby: 1 claim, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dorchester County.

Disasters that hit St. George

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into St. GeorgeDeclared for Dorchester County only

2016

Hurricane Matthew

152 households applied for aid $178K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

373 households applied for aid $238K aid approved

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$205K to the Town of St. George for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$3K to the Town of St. George for repairs

Dorchester County has had 15 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. St. George covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. George’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of St. George. 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 St. George total about $5.3M 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.