Safest places to live in South Carolina from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in South Carolina is in Calhoun County, Edgefield County, McCormick County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Beaufort County, driven by hurricane. This page ranks every South Carolina county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in South Carolina
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | Low | none rated high |
| Edgefield County | Low | none rated high |
| McCormick County | Low | none rated high |
| Saluda County | Low | none rated high |
| Abbeville County | Low | tornado |
| Aiken County | Low | hurricane |
| Allendale County | Low | hurricane |
| Bamberg County | Low | hurricane |
Highest-risk counties in South Carolina
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | High | hurricane |
| Berkeley County | High | hurricane |
| Charleston County | High | hurricane |
| Georgetown County | High | hurricane |
| Horry County | High | hurricane |
Dominant perils in South Carolina
Across South Carolina, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are hurricane, tornado. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any South Carolina address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.