Enter any address in Marion County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms and tropical systems are the primary flood concerns in Marion County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 23 flash flood events and 9 flood events, alongside 5 tropical storm events. For example, flash flooding occurred in August 2024 following Hurricane Debby's passage, and tropical storm conditions from Hurricane Ian in September 2022 also impacted the area.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $44,403 and an average water depth of 2.0 feet. Zone X also shows a significant number of claims, with a higher average payout of $49,580 despite a lower average water depth of 1.4 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X, and areas with unknown flood zone designations should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Marion County, South Carolina has recorded 37 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 9 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 40.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 15, 2018 | 3.00M |
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...
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,...
Tropical Storm — Jul 8, 2021
Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in the panhandle of Florida, then moved northeastward into the Carolinas and weakened. The storm still managed to down some trees and had tropical storm gusts.
Flash Flood — Aug 3, 2021
Flash flooding occurred as a stalled front and weak low pressure interacted in a tropical air-mass to generate showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall.
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 Marion 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 Marion 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.