FEMA puts Arkwright’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 81% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arkwright gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns, #13 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then earthquakes (13%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1989.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Arkwright 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
Earthquakes
Ice storms
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Arkwright’s grade
River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Arkwright, and Arkwright’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 6%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #13 of 169 in South Carolina; lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Arkwright’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical South Carolina town has lower expected damage than 55% of U.S. towns; within the state, Arkwright has less expected damage per building than 93% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $617K a year in losses across Arkwright: $479K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Arkwright flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Arkwright, from FEMA’s records: 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Hugo2 claims · $17K
Arkwright isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Spartanburg County.The storms Arkwright remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Spartanburg County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Arkwright itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19892 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Spartanburg County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Arkwright after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Arkwright archive →Arkwright and its neighbors
Arkwright has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkwright | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Roebuck | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Spartanburg | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 41 |
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 Arkwright 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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 Arkwright
Is Arkwright at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arkwright has lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #13 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and earthquakes (13%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Arkwright flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Arkwright since 1989, $17K in all, or 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Hugo (2).
Is Arkwright 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 Spartanburg County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Arkwright?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Arkwright’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 Arkwright?
By flood claims, Hurricane Hugo: 2 paid, $17K.
Is Arkwright at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Arkwright’s rate for it is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Arkwright.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Arkwright’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.