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Risk: Relatively Moderate

Colleton County, SC Environment & Hazard Risk

Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by hurricane. 1,379 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$37.8M
Relatively Low nationally
Storm events since 1996
1,379
Most often thunderstorm wind
Flood insurance policies
1,583
8.1% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
9
36 tropical storms or stronger since 1852

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Relatively Moderate

Score 85.5 of 100

Social vulnerability

Very High

Score 90.0 of 100

Community resilience

Relatively Moderate

Score 45.2 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $8.8B · Agriculture value exposed: $26.2M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $59.3M

Risk by hazard

  • HurricaneRelatively High$20.1M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
  • EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$6.9M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 189 years
  • WildfireRelatively Low$369K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 709 years
  • Coastal floodingRelatively Moderate$1.3M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
  • Heat waveRelatively Low$739K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.1 events a year
  • Strong windRelatively Moderate$613K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.6 events a year
  • LightningRelatively Moderate$257K/yr expected annual loss, about 66 events a year
  • Ice stormRelatively Moderate$101K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
  • TornadoRelatively Low$1.2M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
  • Cold waveRelatively Low$657K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
  • DroughtRelatively Low$92.7K/yr expected annual loss, about 22 events a year
  • Winter weatherRelatively Low$40K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
  • HailVery Low$86.1K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
  • LandslideVery Low$73/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance
1,583 of 19,527 (8.1%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
2,487
Insured in high-risk zones
1,458 (59%)
Flood claims since 1978
766
Claims paid since 1978
$7.2M

Flood claims paid per year

Flood claims paid per year in Colleton County
  • Hurricane Matthew$2.9M · 305 claims
  • Hurricane Debby$1.4M · 32 claims
  • October severe storms$524K · 58 claims
  • Hurricane Irma$519K · 60 claims
  • Hurricane Hugo$78.2K · 36 claims
  • Hurricane Idalia$76.3K · 4 claims

Storm history

Since 1996: 1,379 events, 2 deaths, $4.9M in damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind922 · 1 death
  • Strong Wind144
  • Hail114
  • Flash Flood33
  • Tornado25
  • Drought21
  • High Wind20
  • Flood20
  • Tropical Storm18
  • Heavy Snow12 · 1 death

Events per year

Storm events per year in Colleton County

34 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, EF1 14, EF2 1, F0 4, F1 11).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind60 kt wind04/13/2020

    Walterboro Muni Arpt, Colleton County

    1 death, 1 injured

    What happened

    The Colleton County Fire Rescue Emergency Management Division reported a tree down on a residence in the 700 block of Barracada Road due to strong inflow winds near a passing tornado. Three people were trapped inside, which included one injured person and one adult female fatality.

  • Heavy Snow01/31/2026

    Northern Colleton

    1 death, 1 injured

    What happened

    Widespread snow impacted the inland half of Colleton County. Snowfall accumulations generally ranged from a dusting up to 1.5 inches. The highest reported amounts were in the Walterboro area of 1 to 1.5 inches. However, Colleton County Emergency Management reported almost 40 snow and ice covered roads across the county which made travel quite treacherous. Impacted roads include Highway 17A from the Dorchester County line all the way to Walterboro, Sidneys Road and Bullseye Lane, Hampton Street, and mile marker 68 on Interstate 95 northbound. Unfortunately, the dangerous travel conditions did result in a fatal car accident in the 9800 block of Sidneys Road near Bullseye Lane. One person died and another was seriously injured in the accident at this location.

  • TornadoEF1, 2 mi path, 80 yd wide04/15/2007

    Ruffin, Colleton County

    9 injured, $200K damage

    What happened

    This Tornado overturned 3 mobile homes and shifted another 7 mobile homes off there foundations. It tore the skirting away from another mobile home, destroyed a storage shed, and snapped off or uprooted dozens of trees. A couple of trees fell on a house. A vehicle and an outbuilding were also damaged. There were 9 minor injuries. Winds with this Tornado were estimated to be 100 mph using the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

  • Dense Fog05/02/2024

    Northern Colleton

    3 injured

    What happened

    Three people were injured in a car crash near the intersection of Jefferies Highway and Pleasant Grove Road. Fog played a significant role in the cause of the incident.

  • Lightning07/09/2025

    Smoaks, Colleton County

    1 injured

    What happened

    Colleton County Fire and Rescue reported that a home at 1462 Johnsville Road was heavily damaged by a fire due to electrical damage caused by a lightning strike. The home suffered significant damage due to the fire, especially on the back side of the structure. The occupant of the home suffered burns to the arms in attempts to extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of Fire and Rescue.

  • Lightning09/01/2022

    Jonesville, Colleton County

    1 injured

    What happened

    Colleton County Emergency Management reported that a person was struck by lightning on Cherokee Plantation at 5109 Combahee Road. The person was transported to the Medical University of South Carolina hospital in downtown Charleston.

Drinking water

7 community water systems serve about 18,229 people. Violations since 2021.

1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 5 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.

Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 4 toxic release facilities in Colleton County

Superfund sites

None in this county.

Toxic release facilities

Total: 51,610 lbs in 2024, 51,610 lbs to air.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk9 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Colleton County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Colleton County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $37.8M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hurricane (relatively high), earthquake (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low).
What storms are most common in Colleton County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 1,379 storm events affecting Colleton County, most often thunderstorm wind (922), strong wind (144), hail (114).
How many tornadoes have hit Colleton County?
34 tornadoes have been recorded in Colleton County since 1950.
How many homes in Colleton County have flood insurance?
1,583 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Colleton County, covering about 8.1% of homes. The program has paid $7.2M on 766 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Colleton County?
At Walterboro 1 SW, average highs reach 91°F in Jul and lows fall to 35°F in Jan, with 51.4 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.