Photo: BeaufortTiger of English Wikipedia · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Beaufort, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Beaufort gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #167 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (84%). Flood insurance has paid 134 claims here since 1979.
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 stands out about Beaufort’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Beaufort faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
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 Beaufort’s grade
Hurricanes are 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Beaufort, and Beaufort’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 2%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #167 of 169 in South Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Beaufort’s residents live in 10 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, Beaufort has more expected damage per building than 99% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $19.3M a year in losses across Beaufort: $17.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Beaufort flood? Yes: 134 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Beaufort, from FEMA’s records: 21.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Matthew46 claims · $1.2M
- Hurricane Irma37 claims · $1.3M
- The October severe storms1 claim · $15K
Beaufort is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Beaufort County.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Beaufort
Disasters that paid out in Beaufort itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Beaufort), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Helene1,874 households applied for aid$1.9M aid approved$537K to the City of Beaufort for repairs
- 2024Tropical Storm Debby$108K to the City of Beaufort for repairs
- 2023Hurricane Idalia$62K to the City of Beaufort for repairs
- 2022Hurricane Ian$39K to the City of Beaufort for repairs
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$66K to the City of Beaufort for repairs
- 2017Hurricane Irma$99K to the City of Beaufort for repairs37 flood claims paid for it, $1.3M
Show all 9
- 2016Hurricane Matthew1,968 households applied for aid$770K aid approved$471K to the City of Beaufort for repairs46 flood claims paid for it, $1.2M
- 2015Severe Storms and Flooding$3K to the City of Beaufort for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$65K to the City of Beaufort for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
Beaufort County has had 14 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 Beaufort after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Beaufort archive →Beaufort and its neighbors
Beaufort is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | — |
| Laurel Bay | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 1 |
| Port Royal | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 3 |
| Beaufort | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 134 |
| Seabrook | — | 799 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 Beaufort faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beaufort residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Beaufort
Is Beaufort at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Beaufort has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #167 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (84%) and river and rain flooding (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Beaufort flood?
Flood insurance has paid 134 claims in Beaufort since 1979, $2.9M in all, or 21.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 19 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (46).
Is Beaufort 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 Beaufort County, 39.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Beaufort?
Beaufort is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6), which takes 20% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Beaufort?
By FEMA money that reached Beaufort, Hurricane Helene (2024): 1,874 households applied for aid, $1.9M approved, and $537K to the City of Beaufort for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 46 paid, $1.2M.
Is Beaufort at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Beaufort’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Beaufort.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Beaufort’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.