Enter any address in Pickens County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding is the most frequent flood event in Pickens County, SC, with 31 recorded instances in the last 30 years. These events have resulted in two fatalities. Other flood types, including general floods and tropical storms, have also occurred. For example, Tropical Cyclone Helene in September 2024 brought heavy rainfall to the region, contributing to flash flooding and general flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have seen the most claims, with an average payout of $35,087 for 2.4 feet of water. However, properties in Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED have experienced higher average payouts and significantly deeper water, with average depths of 11.8 and 12.0 feet respectively. Properties in Zone X_SHADED have also had a high average payout, though with a lower average water depth.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zones X, X_UNSHADED, and X_SHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk. This includes properties that may not be at or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
16 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pickens County, South Carolina has recorded 40 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 31 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 25 federal disaster declarations. 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 |
| Table Rock Fire Complex | Fire | Mar 23, 2025 |
| Table Rock Fire | Fire | Mar 21, 2025 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 6, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 7.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 300.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 1.50M |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2019 | 1.00K |
| Flood | May 16, 2018 | 0.50K |
Flood — 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 ...
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 ...
Flash Flood — 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 ...
Flash Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A major/complex frontal system brought widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms to upstate South Carolina, mainly during the late morning and afternoon of the 9th. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches (with locally higher amounts) in around 12 hours resulted in numerous reports of flooding. Isolated severe thunderstorms also resulted in a a few damaging wind gusts reports over the Pi...
Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across Upstate South Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and a...
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 Pickens 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 Pickens 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.