Natural hazards · Brunswick

Brunswick, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brunswick comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 257 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brunswick?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brunswick to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes58%Coastal flooding11%Inland flooding10%Earthquakes6%Cold waves6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Brunswick faces

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

Hurricanes

58% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Brunswick flood?

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

257paid claims since 1979

$8.3Mpaid to owners

38homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 81 claims, $4.3M
Hurricane Matthew: 47 claims, $1.9M
Hurricane Nicole: 6 claims, $345K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Glynn County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3homes raised above flood level

2buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Brunswick

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrunswickDeclared for Glynn County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

5,794 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved

2023

Hurricane Idalia

299 households applied for aid $83K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

10,106 households applied for aid $4.1M aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

2,034 households applied for aid $886K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

Glynn County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Brunswick

Brunswick and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jekyll Islandmostly hurricanesHigh

Brunswickmostly hurricanesHigh

Country Club Estatesmostly hurricanesHigh

Dock Junctionmostly hurricanesHigh

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. Brunswick covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brunswick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brunswick. 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 Brunswick total about $5.9M 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.