Enter any address in Williamsburg County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events have been the most frequent type of flood recorded in Williamsburg County over the past 30 years, with 16 occurrences. These events are often associated with tropical systems that bring heavy rainfall. For example, Hurricane Debby caused significant impacts in August 2024, and Hurricane Ian resulted in flash flooding and storm surge in September 2022. Additionally, Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 brought 6 to 12 inches of rain, and up to 15 inches in some areas, leading to historic flooding conditions due to antecedent wet soil.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $31,455 and an average water depth of 7.9 feet. Properties in Zone X also show a notable number of claims, with an average payout of $17,832 and an average water depth of 4.7 feet. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, or those located near rivers and waterways, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
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.
Williamsburg County, South Carolina has recorded 26 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 16 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 30 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 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 8, 2016 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 8, 2016 | 50.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Oct 8, 2016 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Oct 10, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 4, 2015 | 8.00M |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2015 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2015 | 800.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 9, 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,...
Flash Flood — Oct 8, 2016
Major Hurricane Matthew moved up the southeast coast and slowly weakened to a category 1 storm as it moved up along the South Carolina coast and then eastward near the North Carolina coast. The hurricane brought 6 to 12 inches of rain and up to 15 inches to some areas of northeast South Carolina, with the bulk of the rainfall occurring within a 12 hour period. This rain fell on wet to in some c...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Oct 8, 2016
Major Hurricane Matthew moved up the southeast coast and slowly weakened to a category 1 storm as it moved up along the South Carolina coast and then eastward near the North Carolina coast. The hurricane brought 6 to 12 inches of rain and up to 15 inches to some areas of northeast South Carolina, with the bulk of the rainfall occurring within a 12 hour period. This rain fell on wet to in some c...
Flood — Oct 10, 2015
More significant rain fell across the area. This rainfall was on the heels of historic rainfall the weekend prior. As a result, rainfall atop saturated ground led to more 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 Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg 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.