Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Meggett than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Meggett gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (58%), then earthquakes (13%). Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 2015.
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 Meggett’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Meggett faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Meggett’s grade
Hurricanes are 58% of the building damage FEMA expects in Meggett, and Meggett’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 12%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Meggett’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Meggett: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Meggett flood? Sometimes: 19 flood claims since 2015
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Meggett, from FEMA’s records: 25.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma9 claims · $252K
- Hurricane Matthew5 claims · $82K
- The October severe storms3 claims · $7K
Meggett is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Charleston County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Meggett
Disasters that paid out in Meggett itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Meggett), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Hurricane Ian$6K to the Town of Meggett for repairs
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$9K to the Town of Meggett for repairs
- 2017Hurricane Irma$6K to the Town of Meggett for repairs9 flood claims paid for it, $252K
- 2016Hurricane Matthew3 households applied for aid$24K to the Town of Meggett for repairs5 flood claims paid for it, $82K
- 2015Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved3 flood claims paid that year
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 Meggett after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Meggett archive →Meggett and its neighbors
Meggett is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 14 |
| Meggett | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 19 |
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 Meggett 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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.
- Meggett 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 Meggett
Is Meggett at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Meggett has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (58%) and earthquakes (13%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Meggett flood?
Flood insurance has paid 19 claims in Meggett since 2015, $352K in all, or 25.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (9).
Is Meggett 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 Meggett?
Meggett 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 Meggett?
By FEMA money that reached Meggett, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 3 households applied for aid, $0 approved, and $24K to the Town of Meggett for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 9 paid, $252K.
Is Meggett at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (58%), and Meggett’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Meggett.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Meggett’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.