Natural hazards · Montezuma

Montezuma, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montezuma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1996. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montezuma?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montezuma to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding37%Hurricanes23%Drought16%Tornadoes6%Hail6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Montezuma 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 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Drought

16% of expected damage

Recorded about 45 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Montezuma flood?

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

2paid claims since 1996

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Macon County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

36flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Montezuma

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontezumaDeclared for Macon County only

2018

Hurricane Michael

$64K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$71K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

$22K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

Macon County has had 11 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. Montezuma 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 Montezuma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Montezuma. 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.