Enter any address in Abbeville County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding recorded in Abbeville County over the last 30 years. For example, in October 2021, slow-moving thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, leading to significant flooding. Another notable event occurred in October 2015, when rainfall amounts of 7-10 inches in the lower Piedmont area resulted in significant flooding.
Homeowners in Zone A, where two National Flood Insurance Program claims have been filed with an average payout of $13,790 for an average water depth of -8.0 feet, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Residents with properties located in flood-prone areas, especially those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should be aware of these risks.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
8 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Abbeville County, South Carolina has recorded 17 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 5 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2023 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 25, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Aug 31, 2019 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 6, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 3.00M |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 30, 2015 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Oct 4, 2015 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2015 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Nov 2, 2015 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2004 | 26K |
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flood — Oct 7, 2021
A slow moving area of upper level low pressure over the Mid-Mississippi Valley pumped semi-tropical weather into the western Carolinas for a couple of days, resulting in occasional rounds of moderate to heavy in the day leading up to the 7th. Scattered slow-moving thunderstorm clusters developed during the morning of the 7th, producing torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour and tot...
Flash Flood — Oct 7, 2021
A slow moving area of upper level low pressure over the Mid-Mississippi Valley pumped semi-tropical weather into the western Carolinas for a couple of days, resulting in occasional rounds of moderate to heavy in the day leading up to the 7th. Scattered slow-moving thunderstorm clusters developed during the morning of the 7th, producing torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour and tot...
Flash Flood — Dec 30, 2015
After a couple of days of occasional moderate to heavy rain acted to elevate stream flows and soil moisture levels, heavy rain showers and thunderstorms developing along and ahead of a cold front produced 2-3 inches of rain in just a few hours across portions of the Piedmont, resulting in areas of flash flooding.
Flood — Oct 4, 2015
A slow-moving area of upper level low pressure tapped into a tropical moisture feed associated with Hurricane Joaquin (located across the western Atlantic, well off the southeast coast) to produce periods of moderate to heavy rainfall across Upstate South Carolina throughout the 3rd and 4th. The main area impacted was the lower Piedmont, which saw storm total amounts in the 7-10 inches range. M...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Abbeville County, South Carolina:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Abbeville County, South Carolina that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.