Photo: Bernardgeorgeh · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in St. Andrews as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Andrews gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns, #86 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then hurricanes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 62 claims here since 1983.
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 St. Andrews 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
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
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 St. Andrews’ grade
River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Andrews, and St. Andrews’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 3%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #86 of 169 in South Carolina; lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Andrews’ residents live in 7 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, St. Andrews has more expected damage per building than 51% of South Carolina towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.5M a year in losses across St. Andrews: $3.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Andrews flood? Sometimes: 62 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Andrews, from FEMA’s records: 5.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 62% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The October severe storms39 claims · $1.2M
- Hurricane Helene1 claim · $15K
St. Andrews isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Richland County.The storms St. Andrews remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Richland County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Andrews itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201544 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Richland County
- 19862 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20122 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Richland County has had 18 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 St. Andrews after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Andrews archive →St. Andrews and its neighbors
St. Andrews is 2nd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 472 |
| St. Andrews | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 62 |
| Seven Oaks | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 258 |
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 St. Andrews 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 St. Andrews
Is St. Andrews at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Andrews has lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #86 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and hurricanes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Andrews flood?
Flood insurance has paid 62 claims in St. Andrews since 1983, $1.4M in all, or 5.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 62% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from October severe storms (39).
Is St. Andrews 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 Richland County, 69% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. Andrews?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Andrews’ 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 St. Andrews?
By flood claims, October severe storms: 39 paid, $1.2M.
Is St. Andrews at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and St. Andrews’ rate for it is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Andrews.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Andrews’ 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.