Natural hazards · Winnsboro

Winnsboro, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winnsboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Winnsboro?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winnsboro to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding30%Tornadoes23%Earthquakes11%Heat waves8%Hurricanes8%Ice storms7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Winnsboro faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Winnsboro flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fairfield County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Winnsboro

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinnsboroDeclared for Fairfield County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

1,332 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $458K to the Town of Winnsboro for repairs

2015

Severe Storms and Flooding

375 households applied for aid $61K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

6 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

Fairfield 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. Winnsboro covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winnsboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Winnsboro. 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 Winnsboro total about $1.3M 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.