Natural hazards · Garfield

Garfield, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garfield to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding29%Hurricanes28%Tornadoes12%Drought10%Earthquakes7%Heat waves6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Garfield faces

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

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 20 years in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 32 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Garfield flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Garfield.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Emanuel County.

Disasters that hit Garfield

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarfieldDeclared for Emanuel County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

372 households applied for aid $461K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Emanuel County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter 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. Garfield 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 Garfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Garfield. 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.