Natural hazards · Austell

Austell, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Austell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 92 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Austell?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Austell to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes15%Cold waves10%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Austell faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Austell flood?

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

92paid claims since 1978

$6.6Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 50 claims, $5.9M
Hurricane Dennis: 9 claims, $300K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Austell is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Cobb County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

178flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

7flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Austell

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AustellDeclared for Cobb County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

2,072 households applied for aid $17.3M aid approved $815K to the City of Austell for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

20 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

Cobb County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Austell

Austell and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Austellmostly inland floodingModerate

Mabletonmostly inland floodingLow

Lithia Springsmostly inland floodingLow

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. Austell covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Austell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Austell. 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 Austell total about $1.7M 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.