Natural hazards · Kennesaw

Kennesaw, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kennesaw comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 2004. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kennesaw?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kennesaw to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding55%Tornadoes19%Cold waves10%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Kennesaw faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Kennesaw flood?

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

26paid claims since 2004

$511Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 18 claims, $446K
Hurricane Dennis: 2 claims, $18K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $379

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cobb County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

19flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Kennesaw

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KennesawDeclared for Cobb County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

$8K to the City of Kennesaw for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

826 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $1.3M to the City of Kennesaw for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

14 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $13K to the City of Kennesaw for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$12K to the City of Kennesaw for repairs

Cobb County has had 16 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. Kennesaw covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kennesaw’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kennesaw. 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 Kennesaw total about $7.0M 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.