Georgetown County, SC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Georgetown County has experienced 30 federally declared disasters since 1989, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Georgetown County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 42 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Georgetown County has been designated in 30 declarations since 1989, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (17), tropical storm (3), severe storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 30 total declarations since 1989.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | 20 | 1 | $115K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.4 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 54.8 | 6 | 0 | $295K |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.4 | 11 | 0 | $3K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 27.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 54.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 49.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 28 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 13.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Georgetown County ranks in the 53rd percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 53rd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 59th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 35th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 72nd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 42nd | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 85th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 86th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 68.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 42 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 21 in 2016–20 vs 21 in 2021–25 (0% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Georgetown County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Georgetown County, South Carolina are hurricane, lightning, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Georgetown County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Georgetown County has received 30 federal disaster declarations since 1989, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (17 declarations).
Has Georgetown County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Georgetown County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1989.
How does Georgetown County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Horry County, SC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Clarendon County, SC has the lowest (Relatively Low). Georgetown County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Georgetown County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Georgetown County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Georgetown County's composite score of 93 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 93% of US counties.