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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Secretary · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Secretary

Secretary isn’t graded for hazard risk: Secretary has 635 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2003.

Flood claims
4
paid since 2003 · $77K
Disasters paid out here
3
of 15 declared for Dorchester County
By hazard

What Secretary 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

38%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 95% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hurricanes

37%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Coastal flooding

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Strong wind Earthquakes Tornadoes Ice storms Lightning Hail Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts hurricanes at 50% of Secretary’s expected losses. Hurricanes do little damage to buildings (36.6%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

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 Secretary flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2003

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2003: 4 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2003
20032026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Isabel4 claims · $77K
4
paid claims since 2003
$77K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$19K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Secretary 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

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Secretary

Disasters that paid out in Secretary itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Secretary), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2012Hurricane Sandy$2K to the Town of Secretary for repairs
  2. 2003Hurricane Isabel2 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$22K to the Town of Secretary for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $77K
  3. 2003Snow$2K to the Town of Secretary for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SecretaryDorchester County only

Dorchester County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Secretary after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Secretary archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Secretary faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the tide surges
  • Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
  • Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
  • Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Secretary

Does Secretary flood?

Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Secretary since 2003, $77K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Isabel (4).

Is Secretary 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 Dorchester County, 49% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 8.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Secretary?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Secretary’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 Secretary?

By FEMA money that reached Secretary, Hurricane Isabel (2003): 2 households applied for aid, $10K approved, and $22K to the Town of Secretary for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Isabel: 4 paid, $77K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Secretary.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Secretary’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.