Natural hazards · Fort Oglethorpe

Fort Oglethorpe, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Oglethorpe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 137 claims here since 1989. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fort Oglethorpe?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Oglethorpe to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes24%Cold waves19%Earthquakes11%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Fort Oglethorpe faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Fort Oglethorpe flood?

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

137paid claims since 1989

$2.4Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 39 claims, $872K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 claims, $39K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Catoosa County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Fort Oglethorpe

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort OglethorpeDeclared for Catoosa County only

2011

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

11 households applied for aid

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

91 households applied for aid $153K aid approved $61K to the City of Fort Oglethorpe for repairs

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

Around Fort Oglethorpe

Fort Oglethorpe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fort Oglethorpemostly inland floodingModerate

Lakeviewmostly inland floodingModerate

Fairviewmostly tornadoesModerate

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. Fort Oglethorpe covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Oglethorpe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Oglethorpe. 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 Fort Oglethorpe total about $4.5M 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.