Natural hazards · McRae-Helena

McRae-Helena, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in McRae-Helena comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is McRae-Helena?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in McRae-Helena to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding38%Hurricanes26%Tornadoes18%Heat waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What McRae-Helena faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 29 years in the area

Heat waves

7% 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 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 McRae-Helena flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in McRae-Helena.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Telfair County.

Disasters that hit McRae-Helena

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into McRae-HelenaDeclared for Telfair County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

15 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $2.3M to the City of McRae-Helena for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

$67K to the City of McRae-Helena for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$120K to the City of McRae-Helena for repairs

Telfair County has had 13 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. McRae-Helena 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 McRae-Helena’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of McRae-Helena. 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.