Flood history · Charleston, SC 29401
Flood insurance claims in Charleston, SC 29401
3,216 claims since 1978 and $78.5 million paid. Here's what the public record shows, and how to check a specific address.
Claims by year
Every NFIP flood insurance claim reported in ZIP 29401 since 1978.
What the record says
Almost all claims here (98%) were on properties in high-risk zones (A or V). In those zones, federally regulated lenders require flood insurance.
One event dominates the record: Hurricane Hugo accounts for 43% of all claims in this ZIP code.
623 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is tidal water overflow: coastal surge and high tides.
Charleston, City Of takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 6), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 20% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Hugo | 1989 | 1,391 | 43% |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017 | 536 | 17% |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016 | 506 | 16% |
| October severe storms | 2015 | 191 | 6% |
| Unnamed flooding | 1987 | 61 | 2% |
| December Nor'easter | 2023 | 31 | 1% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Charleston County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
19 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Charleston County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Charleston.
ZIP-level history is the backdrop. See the official FEMA flood zone, ground elevation and next steps for one property, free.
Nearby South Carolina ZIP codes
Sources: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) and Disaster Declarations Summaries, FEMA NFIP Community Status Book; place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Data as of 2026-10-09. Payments are net building + contents payments in dollars at the time paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims are grouped by the ZIP code reported on the claim. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA. Information only; not an official flood zone determination or insurance advice.
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