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Ashley-Willis HouseAshley-Willis House · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Williston · FEMA

FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Williston as in the typical U.S. town, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Williston gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns, #93 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (38%), then hurricanes (37%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 38%Hurricanes 37%Earthquakes 11%

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 50%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#93 of 169 in South Carolina
Hazard risk
B−#93 of 169
in South Carolina · lower than 50% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
38% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 18 declared for Barnwell County
By hazard

What Williston 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

38%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

37%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

11%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Lightning top 0% Strong wind Wildfire Hail Ice storms 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 tornadoes at 17% of Williston’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (8.3%), 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 Williston’s grade

River and rain flooding is 38% of the building damage FEMA expects in Williston, and Williston’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 84% of U.S. census tracts. Lightning adds 2%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Williston sits
Williston
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #93 of 169 in South Carolina; lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding38%Hurricanes37%Earthquakes11%Everything else13%

The typical South Carolina town has lower expected damage than 55% of U.S. towns; within the state, Williston has more expected damage per building than 55% of South Carolina towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Williston: $679K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Helene in 2024, FEMA took 1,475 aid registrations from Williston addresses (the town has 1,416 homes).
A small-area figure. Williston 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 Williston flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Williston. 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

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

Insurance rates: Barnwell County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Williston

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Helene1,475 households applied for aid$1.6M aid approved
  2. 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds59 households applied for aid$105K aid approved
  3. 2016Hurricane Matthew14 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
  4. 2004Severe Ice Storm$63K to the Town of Williston for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WillistonBarnwell County only

Barnwell 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Williston archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Williston 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 Williston

Is Williston at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Williston has lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #93 of 169 in South Carolina. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (38%) and hurricanes (37%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Williston 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 Barnwell County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Williston?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Williston’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 Williston?

By FEMA money that reached Williston, Hurricane Helene (2024): 1,475 households applied for aid, $1.6M approved.

Is Williston at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (38%), and Williston’s rate for it is lower than 84% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Williston.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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