South Carolina strong wind risk
York County has the highest strong wind risk in South Carolina, scoring 95.4 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | York County | 95.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Richland County | 95.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Orangeburg County | 93.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Lexington County | 93.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Lancaster County | 89.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Anderson County | 89.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Greenville County | 89.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Laurens County | 89.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Dillon County | 89 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Sumter County | 88.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Chesterfield County | 87.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Horry County | 87 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Kershaw County | 86.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Beaufort County | 86.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Charleston County | 82.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Cherokee County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Williamsburg County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Darlington County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Spartanburg County | 80 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Pickens County | 79.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Berkeley County | 74.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Florence County | 73.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Aiken County | 72.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Marlboro County | 69.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Oconee County | 68.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Colleton County | 68.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Hampton County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Union County | 64.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Chester County | 64.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Clarendon County | 62.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Marion County | 61.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Lee County | 59.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Bamberg County | 59 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Barnwell County | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 35 | Greenwood County | 50 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 36 | Fairfield County | 49.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 37 | Saluda County | 49.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 38 | Edgefield County | 44.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Abbeville County | 42.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Calhoun County | 42.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Newberry County | 41.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Jasper County | 30.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Georgetown County | 27.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | McCormick County | 24.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Dorchester County | 18.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Allendale County | 18.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in South Carolina:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in South Carolina?
York County, SC has the highest strong wind risk in South Carolina, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 95.4 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes strong wind risk in South Carolina?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.