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Natural hazards · Atlanta

Atlanta, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atlanta comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,759 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Atlanta?

20
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Atlanta to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Earthquakes13%Tornadoes9%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Atlanta faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Atlanta flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Atlanta, from FEMA’s records.

1,759paid claims since 1978
$81.7Mpaid to owners
262homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Late summer storms: 361 claims, $33.7M
  • Tropical Storm Ivan: 241 claims, $13.1M
  • Hurricane Helene: 216 claims, $19.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 5 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (71) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Atlanta is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Fulton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

146flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
25homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Atlanta

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Atlanta itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Atlanta.

Brought FEMA money into AtlantaDeclared for Fulton County only
2024

Hurricane Helene

8,615 households applied for aid $8.1M aid approved
2017

Hurricane Irma

$872K to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm

$92K to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

3,320 households applied for aid $5.9M aid approved $28.0M to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

894 households applied for aid $828K aid approved $360K to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$2.3M to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

758 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $1.3M to the City of Atlanta for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Storm

$466K to the City of Atlanta for repairs
Fulton County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Atlanta

Atlanta and the towns around it

Druid Hills: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Fulton: Low, mostly inland floodingSandy Springs: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Druid Hills: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Point: Very low, mostly inland floodingCandler-McAfee: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHapeville: Very low, mostly inland floodingBelvedere Park: Low, mostly inland floodingDecatur: Low, mostly inland floodingVinings: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrookhaven: Low, mostly inland floodingGresham Park: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Decatur: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion City: Very low, mostly inland floodingFairburn: Very low, mostly inland floodingCollege Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingChattahoochee Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingPalmetto: Very low, mostly inland floodingDouglasville: Low, mostly inland floodingMableton: Low, mostly inland floodingRoswell: Low, mostly inland floodingDunwoody: Very low, mostly inland floodingPeachtree Corners: Low, mostly inland floodingPanthersville: Low, mostly inland floodingAvondale Estates: Very low, mostly inland floodingScottdale: Very low, mostly inland floodingChamblee: Very low, mostly inland floodingAtlanta: Low, mostly inland flooding AtlantaDruid HillsSouth FultonSandy SpringsNorth Druid HillsEast PointCandler-McAfeeHapevilleBelvedere ParkDecaturViningsBrookhavenGresham Park
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Viningsmostly inland floodingModerate
Candler-McAfeemostly inland floodingModerate
Druid Hillsmostly inland floodingLow
Brookhavenmostly inland floodingLow
Gresham Parkmostly inland floodingLow
North Druid Hillsmostly inland floodingLow
Belvedere Parkmostly inland floodingLow
South Fultonmostly inland floodingLow
Decaturmostly inland floodingLow
Atlantamostly inland floodingLow
Sandy Springsmostly inland floodingLow
East Pointmostly inland floodingVery low
Hapevillemostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Atlanta covers 174 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Atlanta’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Atlanta. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Atlanta total about $103M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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