Enter any address in York County, South Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent type of flood event recorded in York County over the past 30 years, with 26 such events documented. Other flood types include general floods (21 events) and tropical storms (3 events). For example, heavy rain associated with thunderstorms caused flash flooding in August 2025. Later, in September 2024, Tropical Cyclone Helene brought widespread heavy rainfall to the region, contributing to both flood and flash flood events.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone X have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $11,563 and an average water depth of 2.4 feet. However, a single claim in Zone X_UNSHADED resulted in a significantly higher payout of $60,561 with an average water depth of 4.0 feet. Properties in Zone A also saw claims with an average payout of $4,602 and 2.0 feet of water depth. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X, and particularly Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
24 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
York County, South Carolina has recorded 50 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 26 flash floods and 21 river or area floods. The county has received 22 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 |
| 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 5, 2025 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 25.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 50.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 5, 2025
An area of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms developed over the South Carolina Piedmont in association with a surface low and stalled frontal boundary draped over the Coastal Plain. Localized very heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding across portions of central and southern York County.
Flash Flood — Aug 30, 2024
Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed across upstate South Carolina during the afternoon into the evening. A few of the storms produced brief strong-to-damaging wind gusts. In addition, the storms tended to move slowly, and one slow-moving storm cluster produced very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in York County.
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 ...
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 York 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 York 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.