FEMA puts Judson’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 72% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Judson gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns, #35 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then earthquakes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2004.
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 Judson 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
Tornadoes
Ice storms
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 Judson’s grade
River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Judson, and Judson’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 66% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 6%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #35 of 169 in South Carolina; lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Judson’s residents live in 2 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, Judson has less expected damage per building than 80% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $607K a year in losses across Judson: $405K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Judson flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Judson, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Judson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Greenville County.The storms Judson remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Greenville County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Judson itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20041 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Frances, declared for Greenville County
Greenville County has had 16 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.
Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Greenville County, 2016–2025.
Old photos of Judson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Judson archive →Judson and its neighbors
Judson has the lowest expected damage per building of the 5 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judson | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Greenville | B+less damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 112 |
| Dunean | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Parker | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Welcome | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
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 Judson 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Judson
Is Judson at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Judson has lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #35 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and earthquakes (18%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Judson flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Judson since 2004, $6K in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Judson 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 Greenville County, 45% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Judson?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Judson’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Judson at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Judson’s rate for it is lower than 66% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Judson.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Judson’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.