Enter any address in Aiken County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Aiken County, SC. Recent examples include events in August 2025 and November 2024, where heavy rainfall, sometimes enhanced by tropical moisture, led to widespread flooding, particularly near the Savannah River.
Aiken County has also experienced impacts from tropical systems, such as Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024, which brought significant wind and rain. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $5,067 and an average water depth of 1.1 feet. Properties in Zone X, despite fewer claims, show a higher average payout of $7,908 and an average water depth of 1.7 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X, and those located near rivers or in areas without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
20 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Aiken County, South Carolina has recorded 32 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 20 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 2 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Apr 12, 2020 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 43.00M (10 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Nov 6, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2020 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 23, 2019 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 10, 2018 | 0.10K |
Flash Flood — Aug 16, 2025
Thunderstorms developed in a highly unstable environment along a lingering boundary from a MCS that moved through the night before. Weak flow led to slow moving storms, propagating slowly along an outflow boundary. With precipitable water exceeding 2 inches and high soil moisture, this led to flash flooding near the Savannah River.
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Storm Helene formed in the NW Caribbean Sea on September 24. Helene moved northward into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a hurricane on September 25. Helene made landfall as a major hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida the night of September 26 before quickly moving inland into east central Georgia by early morning on September 27. Helene weakened to a strong tropica...
Flash Flood — Nov 6, 2024
Record setting rainfall occurred across portions of the southern Midlands as a stalled front and a deep plume of tropical moisture caused rain rates of over 2-4 per hour for over six hours. Hurricane Rafael in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to the influx of extremely anomalous moisture. Northern Orangeburg and western Calhoun counties received over 10 and the surrounding counties saw over 6 as ...
Tropical Storm — Aug 30, 2023
Lifting up out of the Big Bend of Florida, Hurricane Idalia weakened to a Tropical Storm as it moved out of southeastern Georgia. The tropical system then moved northeast along the coastal plain of South Carolina. This system produced scattered tree damage, some flooding and one confirmed tornado.
Tropical Storm — Sep 30, 2022
Ian first formed as Tropical Depression Nine in the Caribbean Sea on September 23,|2022. It moved west and northwest into the Western Caribbean and strengthened|into a hurricane. The cyclone turned to the north and crossed over the western tip|of Cuba on September 27th.||Ian strengthened into a major hurricane and moved NNE across the SE Gulf of Mexico,|and intensified into a high end categor...
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 Aiken 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 Aiken 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.