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Lourie TheaterPhoto: Pompusmaximus Brad West · Public domain
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in St. George · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in St. George than in 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. George gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (68%), then river and rain flooding (15%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1993.

Hurricanes 68%River and rain flooding 15%Earthquakes 15%

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

more than 95%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D−
in South Carolina · higher than 95% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
68% of expected building damage
Flood claims
5
paid since 1993 · $37K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 15 declared for Dorchester County
By hazard

What St. George faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

68%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

River and rain flooding

15%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Ice storms Lightning Hail Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts earthquakes at 26% of St. George’s expected losses. Earthquakes do little damage to buildings (14.6%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind St. George’s grade

Hurricanes are 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. George, and St. George’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 15% (lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts).

Where St. George sits
St. George
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of St. George’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes68%River and rain flooding15%Earthquakes15%Everything else3%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across St. George: $1.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of St. George’s 1,843 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does St. George flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1993

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. George, from FEMA’s records: 4.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 60% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 1 claim1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 1 claim2024: 1 claim2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199319952016
19932026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Idalia1 claim · $2K
  • Hurricane Matthew1 claim · $20K
  • Hurricane Debby1 claim · $8K
5
paid claims since 1993
$37K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$7K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

St. George isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Dorchester County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. George

Disasters that paid out in St. George itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of St. George), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2016Hurricane Matthew152 households applied for aid$178K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $20K
  2. 2015Severe Storms and Flooding373 households applied for aid$238K aid approved
  3. 2014Severe Winter Storm$205K to the Town of St. George for repairs
  4. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$3K to the Town of St. George for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in St. GeorgeDorchester County only

Dorchester County has had 15 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of St. George after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the St. George archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what St. George faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in St. George

Is St. George at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. George has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (68%) and river and rain flooding (15%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does St. George flood?

Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in St. George since 1993, $37K in all, or 4.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 60% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Idalia (1).

Is St. George 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 Dorchester County, 71% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 5.0% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in St. George?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. George’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 St. George?

By FEMA money that reached St. George, Severe Storms and Flooding (2015): 373 households applied for aid, $238K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Idalia: 1 paid, $2K.

Is St. George at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and St. George’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. George.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. George’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.