Enter any address in Florence County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms and tropical systems are the primary flood drivers in Florence County, SC. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 31 flash flood events and 4 tropical storm events, resulting in 4 fatalities. Recent events include flash flooding in August 2024, associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which impacted the region after making landfall along the central South Carolina coast.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $17,888 and an average water depth of 5.7 feet. While Zone X, which includes areas with lower flood risk, has seen more claims on average, the payouts and water depths are lower. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk or without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay particular attention to flood preparedness.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
18 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Florence County, South Carolina has recorded 61 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 31 flash floods and 26 river or area floods. The county has received 28 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 (1989–2026)
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 |
| Tropical Storm 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 10, 2024
Very deep moisture stayed in place following Tropical Storm Debby. The area was very flood-prone and scattered slow moving storms led to localized flooding especially since a front was stalled in the area.
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2024
After making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 5, Debby weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly moved across southeastern Georgia and offshore before making another landfall along the central SC coast between Charleston and Georgetown. The storm then moved northwest to near the SC/NC border and weakened to a tropical depression on August 8 before qui...
Flash Flood — Aug 7, 2024
After making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 5, Debby weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly moved across southeastern Georgia and offshore before making another landfall along the central SC coast between Charleston and Georgetown. The storm then moved northwest to near the SC/NC border and weakened to a tropical depression on August 8 before qui...
Flash Flood — Jul 6, 2024
Back-building thunderstorms trained over a small area led to localized flooding in Florence County, SC.
Tropical Storm — Sep 30, 2022
Hurricane Ian made landfall along the west coast of Florida on September 28, 2022, then moved across the Florida peninsula and exited off the east coast of Florida on September 29, 2022. Ian then moved north and made a second landfall near Georgetown, SC on September 30, 2022. Ian resulted in a variety of impacts across northeast South Carolina from tropical storm force winds to flash flooding,...
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 Florence 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 Florence 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.