Natural hazards · Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Surfside Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 567 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Surfside Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Surfside Beach to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes75%Inland flooding13%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Surfside Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

75% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Surfside Beach flood?

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

567paid claims since 1979

$16.6Mpaid to owners

23homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Hugo: 311 claims, $13.1M
Hurricane Matthew: 39 claims, $824K
Hurricane Floyd: 35 claims, $413K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Surfside Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Horry County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4buildings retrofitted against wind

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Surfside Beach

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Surfside BeachDeclared for Horry County only

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$11K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

12 households applied for aid $12K aid approved $193K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$68K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

9 households applied for aid $267 aid approved $83K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$13K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

95 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $7.9M to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $48K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$147K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Charley

$46K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$176K to the Town of Surfside Beach for repairs

Horry County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

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. Surfside Beach covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Surfside Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Surfside Beach. 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 Surfside Beach total about $4.5M 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.