Storms, floods and disasters in South Salem Township
South Salem Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: South Salem Township has 71 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What South Salem Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Wildfire
Ice storms
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does South Salem Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in South Salem Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
South Salem Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Greenwood County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to South Salem Township
Disasters that paid out in South Salem Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to South Salem Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides$12K to South Salem Township for repairs
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$7K to South Salem Township for repairs
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$18K to South Salem Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes$40K to South Salem Township for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$10K to South Salem Township for repairs
- 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$4K to South Salem Township for repairs
Greenwood County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of South Salem Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the South Salem Township archive →South Salem Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka Township | — | 295 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Salem Township | — | 45 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Chelsea Township | — | 304 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Janesville Township | — | 336 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Spring Creek Township | — | 98 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what South Salem Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in South Salem Township
Is South Salem Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Greenwood County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in South Salem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Salem Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in South Salem Township?
By FEMA money that reached South Salem Township, Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (2009): $40K to South Salem Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Salem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Salem Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.