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Calhoun County CourthousePhoto: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0
BHazard risk
Natural hazards in St. Matthews · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in St. Matthews than in 61% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Matthews gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (40%), then hurricanes (26%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 40%Hurricanes 26%Earthquakes 20%

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

less than 61%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B
in South Carolina · lower than 61% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
40% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 20 declared for Calhoun County
By hazard

What St. Matthews 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

40%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

26%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Earthquakes

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

7%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 16 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Wildfire Hail Lightning Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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. Matthews’ grade

River and rain flooding is 40% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Matthews, and St. Matthews’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 2%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.

Where St. Matthews sits
St. Matthews
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).

St. Matthews’ residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding40%Hurricanes26%Earthquakes20%Everything else13%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $682K a year in losses across St. Matthews: $411K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. St. Matthews covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does St. Matthews flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in St. Matthews. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Calhoun County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Matthews

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Helene27 households applied for aid$77K aid approved
  2. 2016Hurricane Matthew84 households applied for aid$43K aid approved$13K to the Town of St. Matthews for repairs
  3. 2015Severe Storms and Flooding573 households applied for aid$265K aid approved$29K to the Town of St. Matthews for repairs
  4. 2004Tropical Storm Frances29 households applied for aid$24K aid approved
  5. 2004Severe Ice Storm$28K to the Town of St. Matthews for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in St. MatthewsCalhoun County only

Calhoun County has had 20 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. Matthews after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the St. Matthews archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what St. Matthews faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
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. Matthews

Is St. Matthews at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Matthews has lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (40%) and hurricanes (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is St. Matthews 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 Calhoun County, 29% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in St. Matthews?

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

By FEMA money that reached St. Matthews, Severe Storms and Flooding (2015): 573 households applied for aid, $265K approved, and $29K to the Town of St. Matthews for repairs.

Is St. Matthews at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (40%), and St. Matthews’ rate for it is lower than 87% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

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

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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