Natural hazards · Wagener

Wagener, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wagener comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wagener?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wagener to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding38%Hurricanes23%Tornadoes11%Earthquakes10%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Wagener faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Wagener flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wagener.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Aiken County.

Disasters that hit Wagener

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WagenerDeclared for Aiken County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

764 households applied for aid $757K aid approved

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

9 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $750 to the Town of Wagener for repairs

2004

Severe Ice Storm

$27K to the Town of Wagener for repairs

Aiken County has had 17 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. Wagener 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 Wagener’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wagener. 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.