Data · South Carolina

South Carolina storm damage and disaster statistics

Compiled from NOAA and FEMA data, November 10, 2026 How the figures are built

In short

From 2016 to 2025 the National Weather Service logged 9,203 storm event reports in South Carolina, with property damage estimates totalling $759 million. That is the 23rd highest of the 50 states and D.C.

Damaging wind was reported most often (5,642 reports). Hurricane and tropical storm accounted for the most reported damage ($544 million). FEMA has issued 21 major disaster declarations for South Carolina since 2000.

9,203

storm event reports, 2016–2025

$759M

property damage estimated in those reports

major disaster declarations since 2000

1,092

hail reports, 36 of two inches or larger

312

tornado reports, 36 rated EF2 or stronger

$302M

home damage verified by FEMA inspectors since 2002

Reported storm damage in South Carolina, year by year

Property damage estimated in National Weather Service storm reports for South Carolina. Not insured losses, and not adjusted for inflation.

Largest single damage estimate

$100 million

Tornado, Oconee, 2020. Large events are recorded county by county, so one disaster can appear as several entries.

A quiet year on this chart can mean few damaging storms, or storms whose reports carried no damage estimate.

What hits South Carolina: reports and damage by type

Damaging wind 5,642
Hail 1,092
Flood 1,060
Winter weather 390
Hurricane and tropical storm 350
Tornado 312
Lightning 138
Wildfire 9

Storm event reports by type, 2016 to 2025.

Hurricane and tropical storm $544M
Tornado $125M
Flood $33.3M
Hail $25.0M
Damaging wind $17.0M
Lightning $13.6M
Wildfire $10K

Property damage estimated in those reports, 2016 to 2025.

Federal disasters in South Carolina

FEMA has recorded 21 major disaster declarations, 13 emergency declarations and 7 fire management declarations for South Carolina since 2000.

The most recent major disaster declaration in this data is Severe Winter Storm (winter storm), declared April 7, 2026.

Some states change their rules on public adjuster fees and contracts after a declared disaster. See what a declaration changes.

Hurricane 8
Severe Storm 4
Severe Ice Storm 4
Flood 2
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Storm 1
Biological 1

Major disaster declarations by cause since 2000.

Home damage FEMA has verified in South Carolina

After a declared disaster, homeowners can register with FEMA and have their home inspected. These are the totals for South Carolina since 2004.

407,090

homeowners registered, across 13 disasters

$302M

damage verified by FEMA inspectors

$385M

individual assistance FEMA approved for those owners

152,671

homes inspected

780

inspections that found more than $30,000 of damage

$1,977

average verified damage per inspected home

FEMA assistance is not insurance and is capped. It measures damage against its own habitability standard, and it counts only owners who registered and were inspected.

How South Carolina ranks

South Carolina compared with the other states and the District of Columbia
Measure	South Carolina	Rank of 51	In context
Storm event reports	9,203	33rd	168 per 100,000 residents
Reported property damage	$759 million	23rd	$139 per resident
Hail reports	1,092	28th	36 of two inches or larger
Tornado reports	312	22nd	36 rated EF2 or stronger
Major disaster declarations since 2000	21	38th	13 emergency declarations
FEMA-verified home damage since 2002	$302 million	19th	407,090 homeowners registered

If you have a claim in South Carolina

South Carolina questions

What causes the most storm damage in South Carolina?

Hurricane and tropical storm accounts for the most property damage in National Weather Service reports for South Carolina from 2016 to 2025: $544 million of a $759 million total. Damaging wind is the most frequently reported, with 5,642 reports.

How often does it hail in South Carolina?

The National Weather Service logged 1,092 hail reports in South Carolina from 2016 to 2025. 36 involved hail two inches or larger, and the largest reported stone measured 3 inches. One storm can produce several reports.

How many tornadoes does South Carolina get?

312 tornado segments were recorded in South Carolina from 2016 to 2025, and 36 were rated EF2 or stronger. A tornado that crosses a county line is recorded once per county.

How many federal disasters has South Carolina had?

FEMA records 21 major disaster declarations and 13 emergency declarations for South Carolina since 2000. The most common cause of a major disaster declaration was hurricane.

How much home damage has FEMA verified in South Carolina?

Since 2004, 407,090 homeowners in South Carolina registered with FEMA across 13 disasters. Inspectors verified $302 million in damage and FEMA approved $385 million in individual assistance. These figures cover only people who registered and were inspected.

Use this data

You are welcome to quote these figures and reuse the charts in news stories, research and blog posts. Please credit the page with a link.

PublicAdjuster.cc, "South Carolina storm damage and disaster statistics," https://publicadjuster.cc/data/south-carolina/. Compiled from the NOAA Storm Events Database and FEMA OpenFEMA data, November 10, 2026.

Download all states (CSV) How the figures are built

The underlying records are published by NOAA, FEMA and the U.S. Census Bureau. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).