Natural hazards · Palmetto

Palmetto, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmetto comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palmetto?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palmetto to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes11%Earthquakes8%Cold waves6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Palmetto faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

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 Palmetto flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fulton County.

Disasters that hit Palmetto

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalmettoDeclared for Fulton County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

52 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

$7K to the City of Palmetto for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$20K to the City of Palmetto for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $165K to the City of Palmetto for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Fulton County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Palmetto

Palmetto and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Fultonmostly inland floodingLow

Palmettomostly inland floodingVery low

Chattahoochee Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low

Fairburnmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Palmetto covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palmetto’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Palmetto. 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 Palmetto total about $595K 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.