Natural hazards · Brookhaven

Brookhaven, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brookhaven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 2009. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brookhaven?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brookhaven to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes9%Earthquakes7%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Brookhaven faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% 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 Brookhaven flood?

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

28paid claims since 2009

$954Kpaid to owners

15homes flooded more than once

20092026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 7 claims, $652K
Late summer storms: 6 claims, $131K
Early winter storms: 1 claim, $3K

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

No community discount. Brookhaven isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

11flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Brookhaven

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrookhavenDeclared for DeKalb County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

$88K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

DeKalb County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Brookhaven

Brookhaven and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingLow

North Druid Hillsmostly inland floodingLow

Atlantamostly inland floodingLow

Sandy Springsmostly inland floodingLow

Chambleemostly inland floodingVery low

Dunwoodymostly 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. Brookhaven covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brookhaven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brookhaven. 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 Brookhaven total about $14.6M 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.