Natural hazards · Cordele

Cordele, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cordele comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1991. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cordele?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cordele to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes23%Hurricanes10%Strong wind5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Cordele faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cordele flood?

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

13paid claims since 1991

$238Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19912026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Crisp County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Cordele

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CordeleDeclared for Crisp County only

2018

Hurricane Michael

1,580 households applied for aid $503K aid approved $173K to the City of Cordele for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$48K to the City of Cordele for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

159 households applied for aid $70K aid approved $20K to the City of Cordele for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

$22K to the City of Cordele for repairs

Crisp County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Cordele is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cordele’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cordele. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.