FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Burton than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Burton gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #161 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (84%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Burton 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
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 Burton’s grade
Hurricanes are 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Burton, and Burton’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 1%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #161 of 169 in South Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Burton’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, Burton has more expected damage per building than 95% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.5M a year in losses across Burton: $5.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Burton flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Burton. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Burton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Beaufort County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Burton
Disasters that paid out in Burton itself (aid to households or repair grants to Burton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2016Hurricane Matthew9 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
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 Burton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Burton archive →Burton and its neighbors
Burton is 2nd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Bay | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 1 |
| Burton | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 0 |
| Port Royal | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 3 |
| Shell Point | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 39 |
| Beaufort | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 134 |
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 Burton 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.
- 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 Burton
Is Burton at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Burton has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #161 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (84%) and river and rain flooding (8%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Burton 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 Burton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Burton’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 Burton?
By FEMA money that reached Burton, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 9 households applied for aid, $3K approved.
Is Burton at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Burton’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Burton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Burton’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.