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Edisto 042907 015Photo: Rbwsc · CC BY-SA 4.0
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Edisto Beach · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Edisto Beach faces more hazard damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Edisto Beach gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (55%), then coastal flooding (22%). Flood insurance has paid 462 claims here since 1979.

Hurricanes 55%Coastal flooding 22%River and rain flooding 14%

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

more than 98%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D−
in South Carolina · higher than 98% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
55% of expected building damage
Flood claims
462
paid since 1979 · $4.4M
Flooded more than once
51
properties · 3 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
15% off
Community discount (class 7)

What stands out about Edisto Beach’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

462 paid flood claims since 1979$4.4M in all; 51 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 98% of U.S. towns.15% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns Edisto Beach residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7).Coastal flooding: the top 1% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for coastal flooding here ranks in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts; it is 21.7% of the damage it expects.Moved out of harm’s way1 home raised above flood level with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Edisto Beach faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

55%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

22%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

14%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Tornadoes Strong wind Ice storms Lightning Hail Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Edisto Beach’s grade

Hurricanes are 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in Edisto Beach, and Edisto Beach’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 22%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Edisto Beach sits
Edisto Beach
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Edisto Beach’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes55%Coastal flooding22%River and rain flooding14%Everything else9%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.4M a year in losses across Edisto Beach: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Edisto Beach’s 1,033 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Jacksonboro CDP (412 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Edisto Beach flood? Yes: 462 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Edisto Beach, from FEMA’s records: 213.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 114 claims1980: 1 claim1981: 1 claim1982: 0 claims1983: 5 claims1984: 1 claim1985: 1 claim1986: 8 claims1987: 9 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 13 claims1990: 4 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 4 claims1993: 5 claims1994: 5 claims1995: 5 claims1996: 7 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 4 claims1999: 4 claims2000: 1 claim2001: 2 claims2002: 8 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 3 claims2005: 7 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 1 claim2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 10 claims2016: 190 claims2017: 38 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 6 claims2024: 3 claims2025: 2 claims2026: 0 claims197920162017
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Matthew189 claims · $2.7M
  • Hurricane Irma38 claims · $482K
  • Hurricane Hugo12 claims · $30K
462
paid claims since 1979
$4.4M
paid to owners
51
homes flooded more than once
$10K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount15% off flood insurance

Edisto Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Colleton County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1home raised above flood level
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Edisto Beach

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Helene$28K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs
  2. 2024Tropical Storm Debby$54K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs
  3. 2022Hurricane Ian$4K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs
  4. 2019Hurricane Dorian$552K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs
  5. 2018Hurricane Florence$36K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs
  6. 2017Hurricane Irma$711K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs38 flood claims paid for it, $482K
Show all 9
  1. 2016Hurricane Matthew44 households applied for aid$9K aid approved$2.5M to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs189 flood claims paid for it, $2.7M
  2. 2015Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$1.1M to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs10 flood claims paid that year
  3. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$53K to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $19K
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Edisto BeachColleton County only

Colleton County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Edisto Beach archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Edisto Beach faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
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.
  • Edisto Beach residents get 15% off flood insurance.
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 Edisto Beach

Is Edisto Beach at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Edisto Beach has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (55%) and coastal flooding (22%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Edisto Beach flood?

Flood insurance has paid 462 claims in Edisto Beach since 1979, $4.4M in all, or 213.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 51 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (189).

Is Edisto Beach 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 Colleton County, 59% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 8.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Edisto Beach?

Edisto Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% 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 Edisto Beach?

By FEMA money that reached Edisto Beach, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 44 households applied for aid, $9K approved, and $2.5M to the Town of Edisto Beach for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 189 paid, $2.7M.

Is Edisto Beach at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and Edisto Beach’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Edisto Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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