Does Westchester flood?
Westchester, Charleston, SC · ZIP code 29412: the ZIP code on 47 of the 47 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Westchester have filed flood claims. About 30% of Westchester’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 47 claims from the Census block groups that cover Westchester, from 1979 through 2020. 28 of them received a payment, totaling $200,838 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2015 (15 claims), 1989 (10 claims), 1998 (4 claims).
What this page counts as Westchester
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Westchester, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Westchester means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Westchester (feature 1253328), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Westchester. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Westchester
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Westchester
The named streets in Westchester, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Westchester lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Westchester; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secessionville Rd | 4,570 ft | 55% | AE (55%) |
| Folly Rd | 3,220 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (57%) |
| Fort Johnson Rd | 3,080 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Westwood Dr | 2,890 ft | 88% | AE (88%) |
| Westway Dr | 2,350 ft | 36% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (64%) |
| Rainbow Rd | 2,060 ft | 35% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (65%) |
| Bur Clare Dr | 2,030 ft | 41% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (58%) |
| Seacroft Rd | 1,830 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
| Westmoreland Ave | 1,800 ft | 28% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (72%) |
| Woodview Ln | 1,750 ft | 95% | AE (95%) |
| Bresee St | 1,730 ft | 34% | X (unshaded, minimal) (43%) |
| Ave B | 1,690 ft | 1.8% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (69%) |
| Witter St | 1,490 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (59%) |
| Jeffords St | 1,480 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (58%) |
| Freer St | 1,330 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (58%) |
| Westridge Cir | 990 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Ave A | 980 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (80%) |
| Fifth St | 880 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (68%) |
| Vardel St | 880 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (68%) |
| Woodhill Ter | 520 ft | 100% | AE (100%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved October 25, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Westchester
Share of Westchester’s mapped area (about 0.875 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Mapped base flood elevations inside the neighborhood range from 11 to 11 feet. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (45019C0677K, 45019C0679K): January 29, 2021.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 48% |
| AE | 30% |
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 22% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Westchester. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 | $337 |
| 1980s | 13 | $16,936 |
| 1990s | 7 | $8,606 |
| 2000s | 2 | $0 |
| 2010s | 22 | $149,121 |
| 2020s | 2 | $25,840 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- October severe storms: 15 claims
- Hurricane Hugo: 10 claims
- Hurricane Matthew: 4 claims
- Hurricane Irma: 3 claims
- Flooding: 2 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 36
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 9
- Not reported: 2
Insurance agency or real estate agent? Sponsor this page.
Before you rent or buy in Westchester
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
Living in Westchester
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Westchester with other Charleston neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Charleston on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Westchester flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Westchester have filed flood claims. About 30% of Westchester’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 47 claims from the Census block groups that cover Westchester, from 1979 through 2020. 28 of them received a payment, totaling $200,838 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2015 (15 claims), 1989 (10 claims), 1998 (4 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Westchester in a flood zone?
About 30% of Westchester’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 48%; AE 30%; X (unshaded, minimal) 22%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect January 29, 2021.
Which streets in Westchester are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of Secessionville Rd, Westwood Dr, Seacroft Rd, Woodview Ln and Woodhill Ter lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Less than 10% of Folly Rd, Fort Johnson Rd, Ave B, Witter St, Jeffords St, Freer St, Westridge Cir and Ave A does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Westchester in?
Westchester is in Charleston, SC. ZIP code 29412: the ZIP code on 47 of the 47 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
- Does Seaside flood?
- Does Secessionville flood?
- Does Oakcrest flood?
- Does Three Trees flood?
- Does Creek Point flood?
- Does Clarks Point flood?
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Charleston County (county code 45019), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 450190020032. Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on October 25, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on October 25, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and October 25, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated October 25, 2026.