FEMA puts Sangaree’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sangaree gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, #154 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (59%), then earthquakes (24%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 Sangaree 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
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 Sangaree’s grade
Hurricanes are 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Sangaree, and Sangaree’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 24%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #154 of 169 in South Carolina; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Sangaree’s residents live in 3 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, Sangaree has more expected damage per building than 91% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.1M a year in losses across Sangaree: $5.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Sangaree flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2016
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sangaree, from FEMA’s records: 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Matthew1 claim · $15K
Sangaree isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Berkeley County.The storms Sangaree remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Berkeley County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Sangaree itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20161 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Matthew, declared for Berkeley County
Berkeley 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 Sangaree after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sangaree archive →Sangaree and its neighbors
Sangaree 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladson | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 36 |
| Sangaree | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1 |
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 Sangaree 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.
- 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 Sangaree
Is Sangaree at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sangaree has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #154 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (59%) and earthquakes (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Sangaree flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Sangaree since 2016, $15K in all, or 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (1).
Is Sangaree 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 Berkeley County, 82% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 7.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sangaree?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sangaree’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Sangaree?
By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 1 paid, $15K.
Is Sangaree at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Sangaree’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sangaree.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sangaree’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.