Charleston County, South Carolina
flood insurance data
- The median paid claim, $12,841, is 13.5% below the South Carolina median ($14,847) and 65.5% below the national median of the same years ($37,248), the 90th lowest of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources.
- Of the 8,113 owner registrations FEMA inspected in Charleston County after disasters of every declared type, 0.1% show more than $30,000 of FEMA-inspected damage, against 0.5% across South Carolina and 2.6% nationally. The disaster with the most inspections is DR-4241, SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING (declared 2015-10-05), with 5,747.
- With 4,536 paid claims (year of loss 2015-2024), Charleston County has the 21st most of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources, and the most of 13 South Carolina counties of that list.
- With 46,871 residential NFIP policies effective 2025, Charleston County has the 11th most of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources, and the most of 13 South Carolina counties of that list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipPolicies (v3, data as of 2026-09-09, retrieved 2026-10-11 and 2026-10-12), NfipClaims (v3, data as of 2026-09-09, retrieved 2026-10-12), DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (v2, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12), HousingAssistanceOwners (v2, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12), NfipCommunityStatusBook (v1, data as of 2026-10-11, retrieved 2026-10-12); CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0), annual average (BLS Public Data API v1, annual averages 2005-2025, retrieved 2026-10-12). Not an official federal report.
NFIP premiums in Charleston County
NFIP premiums: what NFIP policyholders paid, not a quote. Across 46,871 policies (policies effective 2025; occupancy: residential (occupancyType 1,2,3,11,12,13,14); amount: FEMA field policyCost), the median is $978, and half of them fall between $778 (Q1) and $1,230 (Q3).
Residential NFIP policies counted by FEMA fell 22.0% between 2019 (60,111) and 2025 (46,871); the count peaked in 2020 (63,422). Of the 3 zones listed (AE, X, VE), zone VE has the highest median premium ($1,478) and zone X the lowest ($820). Coastal high-hazard zone VE is listed, with 645 policies. Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the median premium in Charleston County is $1,017, 24.0% higher than outside it ($820); most of its zoned policies sit inside the SFHA (74.6%). The median NFIP premium in Charleston County, $978, is 6.7% above the South Carolina median ($917) and 7.3% below the national median ($1,055); it is the 122nd lowest of 339 counties with all four FEMA sources.
| Flood zone group | Policies | Q1 | Median | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFHA (A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, VE) | 34,961 | $834 | $1,017 | $1,400 |
| Outside SFHA (X, B, C) | 11,910 | $642 | $820 | $1,055 |
By flood zone
| Flood zone | Policies | Q1 | Median | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE | 34,267 | $832 | $1,012 | $1,383 |
| X | 11,910 | $642 | $820 | $1,055 |
| VE | 645 | $976 | $1,478 | $3,133 |
Policies in force by year
| Year | Policies |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 60,111 |
| 2020 | 63,422 |
| 2021 | 56,995 |
| 2022 | 51,177 |
| 2023 | 49,426 |
| 2024 | 48,251 |
| 2025 | 46,871 |
Base of each count: the yearly figures are FEMA API counts of residential policy terms, every premium included; the median and quartiles rest on the policies effective 2025 with a positive policyCost. For 2025 both bases count 46,871 policies.
NFIP paid building claims in Charleston County
NFIP claims: amounts paid, not repair cost. Window: year of loss 2015-2024; 4,536 paid claims; median $12,841, half of them between $5,111 (Q1) and $27,138 (Q3), in nominal dollars. Median in 2024 dollars (CPI-U): $16,373, a monetary adjustment, not today’s cost of repair.
The named event with the most paid claims in Charleston County, October severe storms, accounts for 30.2% of them, ahead of Hurricane Irma (28.5%): no single event holds a majority. Two years hold 62.2% of the paid claims (year of loss 2015-2024): 2015 with 1,482 and 2017 with 1,338.
| Event | Paid claims | Share |
|---|---|---|
| October severe storms | 1,369 | 30.2% |
| Hurricane Irma | 1,294 | 28.5% |
| Hurricane Matthew | 1,084 | 23.9% |
| December Nor'easter | 153 | 3.4% |
| Hurricane Ian | 77 | 1.7% |
Paid claims by year of loss
| Year of loss | Paid claims |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,482 |
| 2016 | 1,101 |
| 2017 | 1,338 |
| 2018 | 75 |
| 2019 | 26 |
| 2020 | 63 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 100 |
| 2023 | 218 |
| 2024 | 106 |
FEMA disaster declarations
Since 2000: 17 flood, hurricane and severe-storm declarations (DR and EM) covering Charleston County, 9 of them major disaster declarations.
With 17 flood, hurricane and severe-storm declarations (DR and EM) since 2000, Charleston County has more than the median South Carolina county with all four FEMA sources (15). Hurricane declarations are the most frequent (13), ahead of Severe Storm (3) and Flood (1).
| Incident type | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Flood | 1 |
| Hurricane | 13 |
| Severe Storm | 3 |
Latest declarations
- EM-3597: HURRICANE IDALIA (Hurricane, 2023-08-31)
- DR-4677: HURRICANE IAN (Hurricane, 2022-11-21)
- EM-3585: HURRICANE IAN (Hurricane, 2022-09-29)
- DR-4464: HURRICANE DORIAN (Hurricane, 2019-09-30)
- EM-3421: HURRICANE DORIAN (Hurricane, 2019-09-01)
FEMA assistance to homeowners
Since 2002: 8,113 owner registrations inspected by FEMA in Charleston County after disasters of every declared type; inspected damage is FEMA’s assessment for its assistance program, not repair cost.
| Damage band | Registrations |
|---|---|
| No FEMA-inspected damage | 1,538 |
| $1-$10,000 | 6,349 |
| $10,001-$20,000 | 198 |
| $20,001-$30,000 | 23 |
| More than $30,000 | 5 |
Disasters with the most inspections
- DR-4241, SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING (declared 2015-10-05): 5,747 inspections
- DR-4286, HURRICANE MATTHEW (declared 2016-10-11): 1,400 inspections
- DR-4677, HURRICANE IAN (declared 2022-11-21): 488 inspections
- DR-1566, TROPICAL STORM FRANCES (declared 2004-10-07): 477 inspections
- DR-4285, HURRICANE MATTHEW (declared 2016-10-10): 1 inspections
NFIP communities and flood maps
FEMA’s Community Status Book places 14 NFIP communities in Charleston County alone; 14 of them (100.0%) are classed in the Community Rating System (CRS). The best class among the communities counted here is 2 (Charleston County*): FEMA applies that 40% discount to the full-risk premium of Regular Program NFIP policies in that community, inside or outside the SFHA, not to the whole county; a policy can be excluded if its building does not comply with local floodplain rules. The oldest flood map still in effect in Charleston County dates from 2021-01-29 (Charleston County*).
In South Carolina, 6.3% of the Status Book’s communities span several counties or match no county by name, so community counts by county are partial there.
| Community | In the NFIP | CRS class | CRS discount (all policies) | Map in effect | First FIRM | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County* | yes | 2 | 40% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-27 | — |
| Folly Beach, City of | yes | 3 | 35% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-02 | — |
| Isle of Palms, City of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-02 | — |
| James Island, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 2004-11-17 | — |
| Kiawah Island, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-27 | — |
| Mount Pleasant, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-02 | — |
| Ravenel, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1981-04-01 | — |
| Seabrook Island, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-27 | — |
| Sullivans Island, Town of | yes | 5 | 25% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-02 | — |
| Awendaw, Town of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-27 | — |
| Hollywood, Town of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2021-01-29 | 1986-06-17 | — |
| Mcclellanville, Town of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2021-01-29 | 1981-03-16 | — |
| Meggett, Town of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2021-01-29 | 1979-05-11 | — |
| Rockville, Town of | yes | 6 | 20% | 2021-01-29 | 1971-04-27 | — |
Communities that extend into other counties
3 more communities list Charleston County among several counties; they are not counted above.
| Community | Counties | CRS class | CRS discount (all policies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston, City of | Dorchester County/Berkeley County/Charleston County | 5 | 25% |
| Charleston, City of | Berkeley County/Charleston County | 6 | 20% |
| Summerville, Town of | Berkeley County/Charleston County/Dorchester County | — | — |
Questions about flood insurance in Charleston County
How much is flood insurance in Charleston County?
NFIP policyholders in Charleston County paid a median of $978 for residential policies effective 2025 (46,871 policies; FEMA field policyCost: premium, reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge); half paid between $778 and $1,230; $1,017 inside the Special Flood Hazard Area against $820 outside it: what NFIP policyholders paid, not a quote.
How many flood insurance claims has Charleston County had?
4,536 NFIP building claims were paid (year of loss 2015-2024), with a median of $12,841; the year with the most was 2015 (1,482), and the named event with the most was October severe storms (1,369). These are amounts paid, not repair cost.
Is Charleston County in a flood zone?
Of the residential NFIP policies of Charleston County (policies effective 2025), 34,961 are rated inside the Special Flood Hazard Area and 11,910 outside it (zones listed: AE, X, VE), but these aggregates cannot tell the flood zone of an address: FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center shows it for a given property.
Statewide figures: South Carolina flood insurance data.
Named storms with paid claims in Charleston County
Related tools
NFIP paid claims and premiums are not repair estimates: to estimate the cleanup of a flooded basement from published cost-guide rates, use the basement water damage repair cost calculator; for water removal and drying after any water loss, the water damage and mitigation calculator.
To set these figures against every State on one claims window, amounts paid, not repair cost: NFIP paid building claims by state.
Before using these figures
A county figure can rest on one disaster, and FEMA’s county code may not be the county where every property stands. Method and limits.
Source and notice
- Dominant event: October severe storms = 0.302 of paid claims 2015-2024.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).