Richland County flood history
South Carolina · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 1,360 flood insurance claims in Richland County, South Carolina since 1978. The NFIP paid $60.5 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2015, with 826, mostly from October severe storms.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 91 claims, and the average paid claim was $22,833.
35% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 1.3% of homes in Richland County, South Carolina had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (1,764 of 131,728 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 69% (973 of 1,407).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 6 flood-related disaster declarations covering Richland County, South Carolina. The most recent was DR-4829-SC (Hurricane Helene), declared September 29, 2024.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | $24,858 |
| 2025 | 2 | $45,903 |
| 2024 | 27 | $514,356 |
| 2023 | 3 | $7,980 |
| 2022 | 8 | $207,204 |
| 2021 | 8 | $13,973 |
| 2020 | 11 | $66,609 |
| 2019 | 3 | $16,212 |
| 2018 | 10 | $147,924 |
| 2017 | 17 | $73,803 |
| 2016 | 27 | $171,798 |
| 2015 | 826 | $56.1 million |
| 2014 | 7 | $7,457 |
| 2013 | 29 | $380,189 |
| 2012 | 8 | $56,163 |
| 2011 | 44 | $736,562 |
| 2010 | 7 | $261,445 |
| 2009 | 24 | $77,440 |
| 2008 | 4 | $35,981 |
| 2006 | 4 | $37,982 |
| 2005 | 6 | $85,352 |
| 2004 | 9 | $119,894 |
| 2003 | 9 | $5,514 |
| 2002 | 4 | $3,228 |
| 2001 | 2 | $4,243 |
| 2000 | 3 | $112 |
| 1999 | 5 | $1,075 |
| 1998 | 22 | $27,658 |
| 1997 | 38 | $278,280 |
| 1996 | 7 | $7,838 |
| 1995 | 13 | $53,643 |
| 1994 | 5 | $6,377 |
| 1993 | 4 | $44,319 |
| 1992 | 6 | $23,834 |
| 1991 | 16 | $49,259 |
| 1990 | 12 | $54,613 |
| 1989 | 17 | $448,322 |
| 1988 | 4 | $10,027 |
| 1987 | 14 | $37,030 |
| 1986 | 30 | $118,281 |
| 1985 | 1 | $3,196 |
| 1984 | 5 | $5,545 |
| 1983 | 8 | $19,241 |
| 1982 | 5 | $3,396 |
| 1981 | 7 | $5,425 |
| 1980 | 3 | $0 |
| 1979 | 32 | $64,437 |
| 1978 | 2 | $1,456 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| October severe storms | 2015 | 792 | $55.8 million |
| Hurricane Hugo | 1989 | 16 | $448,322 |
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | 18 | $384,653 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018 | 4 | $121,669 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016 | 8 | $36,761 |
| Hurricane Isaias | 2020 | 2 | $18,671 |
| Hurricane Hanna | 2008 | 1 | $11,315 |
| Flooding | 1987 | 2 | $3,025 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 1,764 residential NFIP policies in Richland County, against 131,728 residential buildings (1.3%). Of the 1,407 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 973 have an NFIP policy (69%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
What flood insurance costs in Richland County
On June 30, 2026, 2,156 NFIP flood insurance policies were in force in Richland County, South Carolina. For the 1,645 single-family homes among them, the typical (median) yearly cost was about $890; the average was $1,000.
| Rated flood zone | Policies | Typical yearly cost, single-family home | Average cost | Average building coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-risk zones (A and V) | 1,287 | $1,110 | $1,200 | $217,000 |
| Moderate- and low-risk zones (B, C and X) | 869 | $660 | $760 | $232,000 |
Cost here is what FEMA's data lists as the policy cost: the premium plus the reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge. It covers single-family homes only (not condos, apartments or businesses), with costs rounded to the nearest $10 and shown only where at least 20 homes back the figure. Your own price depends on your building and the coverage you choose; see how flood insurance is priced. Private flood insurance isn't included.
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4829-SC | Sep 29, 2024 | Hurricane Helene | Yes |
| EM-3619-SC | Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane Helene | No |
| EM-3606-SC | Aug 5, 2024 | Hurricane Debby | No |
| EM-3597-SC | Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane Idalia | No |
| DR-4241-SC | Oct 5, 2015 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3373-SC | Oct 3, 2015 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of South Carolina.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.