Tombee Plantation · Photo: Gwringle · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Port Royal than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Royal gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #166 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (86%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2016.
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 Port Royal’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Port Royal 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 Port Royal’s grade
Hurricanes are 86% of the building damage FEMA expects in Port Royal, and Port Royal’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 3%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #166 of 169 in South Carolina; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Port Royal’s residents live in 6 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, Port Royal has more expected damage per building than 98% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $14.4M a year in losses across Port Royal: $12.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Port Royal flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2016
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Port Royal, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma1 claim · $1K
- Hurricane Matthew1 claim · $19K
Port Royal is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Beaufort County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Port Royal
Disasters that paid out in Port Royal itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Port Royal), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Helene122 households applied for aid$117K aid approved$49K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs
- 2019Hurricane Dorian$16K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs
- 2017Hurricane Irma$16K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $1K
- 2016Hurricane Matthew161 households applied for aid$64K aid approved$97K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $19K
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$12K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs
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 Port Royal after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Port Royal archive →Port Royal and its neighbors
Port Royal is 3rd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | — |
| Shell Point | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 39 |
| Port Royal | D−among the highest damage | hurricanes | 3 |
| 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 Port Royal 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.
- Port Royal residents get 05% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Port Royal
Is Port Royal at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Royal has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #166 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (86%) and river and rain flooding (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Port Royal flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Port Royal since 2016, $21K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (1).
Is Port Royal 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 Port Royal?
Port Royal is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9), which takes 05% 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 Port Royal?
By FEMA money that reached Port Royal, Hurricane Helene (2024): 122 households applied for aid, $117K approved, and $49K to the Town of Port Royal for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 1 paid, $1K.
Is Port Royal at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (86%), and Port Royal’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Port Royal.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Port Royal’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.