Hopsewee · Photo: NPS photo · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in McClellanville
McClellanville isn’t graded for hazard risk: McClellanville has 690 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 1979.
What McClellanville 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
Wildfire
Coastal 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.
Does McClellanville flood? Sometimes: 58 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in McClellanville, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Hugo45 claims · $2.0M
- The December nor’easter2 claims · $29K
- Hurricane Matthew1 claim · $39K
McClellanville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Charleston County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to McClellanville
Disasters that paid out in McClellanville itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of McClellanville), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$4K to the Town of McClellanville for repairs
- 2016Hurricane Matthew4 households applied for aid$598 aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $39K
Charleston County has had 18 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.
Old photos of McClellanville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the McClellanville archive →Get ready for what McClellanville 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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.
- 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.
- McClellanville 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 McClellanville
Does McClellanville flood?
Flood insurance has paid 58 claims in McClellanville since 1979, $2.1M in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Hugo (45).
Is McClellanville 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 Charleston County, 78% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 31.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in McClellanville?
McClellanville 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 McClellanville?
By FEMA money that reached McClellanville, Hurricane Dorian (2019): $4K to the Town of McClellanville for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Hugo: 45 paid, $2.0M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McClellanville.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where McClellanville’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.