Natural hazards · Duluth

Duluth, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Duluth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 2005. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Duluth?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Duluth to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes12%Cold waves5%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Duluth 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

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Duluth flood?

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

34paid claims since 2005

$885Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

20052026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 8 claims, $126K
Hurricane Idalia: 6 claims, $255K
Hurricane Dennis: 1 claim, $1K

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Duluth is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Gwinnett County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Duluth

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DuluthDeclared for Gwinnett County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

$34K to the City of Duluth for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

157 households applied for aid $148K aid approved $107K to the City of Duluth for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$7K to the City of Duluth for repairs

Gwinnett County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Duluth

Duluth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Peachtree Cornersmostly inland floodingLow

Johns Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Duluthmostly inland floodingLow

Suwaneemostly inland floodingLow

Berkeley Lakemostly 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. Duluth covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Duluth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Duluth. 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 Duluth total about $6.0M 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.