Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0More hazard damage per building is expected in St. Stephen than in 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Stephen gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (66%), then earthquakes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2015.
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. Stephen 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 St. Stephen’s grade
Hurricanes are 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Stephen, and St. Stephen’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 2%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of St. Stephen’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across St. Stephen: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Stephen flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2015
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Stephen, from FEMA’s records: 1.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 65% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The October severe storms1 claim · $25K
St. Stephen 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.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Stephen
Disasters that paid out in St. Stephen itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of St. Stephen), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds8 households applied for aid$40K aid approved
- 2016Hurricane Matthew268 households applied for aid$111K aid approved
- 2015Severe Storms and Flooding645 households applied for aid$478K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2004Tropical Storm Frances188 households applied for aid$134K aid approved
- 2004Tropical Storm Gaston$3K to the Town of St. Stephen for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$7K to the Town of St. Stephen for repairs
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 St. Stephen after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Stephen archive →St. Stephen and its neighbors
St. Stephen has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Stephen | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 1 |
| Russellville | — | 392 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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. Stephen 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 St. Stephen
Is St. Stephen at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Stephen has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (66%) and earthquakes (16%). 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. Stephen flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in St. Stephen since 2015, $25K in all, or 1.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 65% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from October severe storms (1).
Is St. Stephen 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 St. Stephen?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Stephen’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. Stephen?
By FEMA money that reached St. Stephen, Severe Storms and Flooding (2015): 645 households applied for aid, $478K approved. By flood claims, October severe storms: 1 paid, $25K.
Is St. Stephen at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and St. Stephen’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Stephen.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Stephen’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.