How many disasters are declared in South Carolina?
Updates published monthly
On average, 2 disasters are declared per year. This figure is based on the most recent five full years of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data.
As of September, there have been 4 disaster declarations in South Carolina in 2025. In 2024, there were 4 declarations.
A disaster declaration is more than just recognizing an event—it's a formal request for federal aid when state, local, or tribal resources are overwhelmed. The president approves these declarations when they determine that federal support is necessary.
Declarations vary due to the type and severity of disasters, whether the president approves requests for federal assistance, and other factors.
4
disasters have been declared so far in South Carolina in 2025
4
disasters have been declared in South Carolina in 2024
2
disasters have been declared yearly on average (2020–2024)
The primary two disaster declarations are major disaster and emergency.
- A major disaster declaration applies to hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, landslides, mudslides, droughts, explosions, and other severe natural events. These typically cause widespread damage requiring long-term recovery efforts.
- An emergency declaration is issued when the president determines federal assistance is needed to protect lives, property, or public health and safety. Aid is capped at $5 million and is for urgent crises. These can include public health emergencies (such as COVID-19), terrorist attacks, power outages, or events related to natural disasters.
A third type of declaration, fire management, applies to managing and suppressing either a single large blaze or multiple smaller fires. While fires can also be part of major disasters or emergencies, fire management is a separate category because the declaration process differs: instead of the longer timelines for other declarations, these expedited decisions are usually made within a few hours.
The president must approve all declarations. The federal aid available depends on what kind of disaster is declared. In most cases, governors request these declarations, though tribal nations may also submit requests independently.
South Carolina declared 15 disasters in the last 5 years.
Number of disaster declarations by disaster incident type, January 1980–August 2025
In the last 5 years, hurricanes have been 4 out of South Carolina's 15 disasters, making them the most common declaration in that time frame.
In 2020, COVID-19 accounted for 2 biological emergency declarations that year in South Carolina. States can have multiple declarations for a single disaster event: both by the state and Native American tribes, and for disaster and emergency declarations.
Since 1980, hurricanes have accounted for 46 (41.3%) of all disaster declarations in South Carolina, the highest of any disaster type. In that same time frame, there have been 46 total declarations across 1 disaster category.
Our government is complex. Our data doesn’t have to be.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get data-backed answers to today’s most debated issues
Since 1980, there have been 49 disaster declarations in South Carolina.
| 1. | March 23, 2025 | Table Rock Fire Complex |
| 2. | March 23, 2025 | Table Rock Fire |
| 3. | March 07, 2025 | Covington Drive Fire |
| 4. | January 10, 2025 | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 5. | September 29, 2024 | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 6. | September 29, 2024 | Hurricane Helene |
| 7. | September 26, 2024 | Hurricane Helene |
| 8. | August 05, 2024 | Hurricane Debby |
| 9. | August 31, 2023 | Hurricane Idalia |
| 10. | November 21, 2022 | Hurricane Ian |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
