Natural hazards · Pooler

Pooler, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pooler comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pooler?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pooler to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes68%Inland flooding23%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Pooler faces

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

Hurricanes

68% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Pooler flood?

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

67paid claims since 1979

$1.3Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Matthew: 17 claims, $411K
Hurricane Debby: 8 claims, $351K
Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Pooler is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Chatham County.

Disasters that hit Pooler

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PoolerDeclared for Chatham County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

2,049 households applied for aid $725K aid approved $509K to the City of Pooler for repairs

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

196 households applied for aid $297K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

910 households applied for aid $122K aid approved $106K to the City of Pooler for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

477 households applied for aid $143K aid approved $305K to the City of Pooler for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations

$9K to the City of Pooler for repairs

Chatham County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Pooler

Pooler and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Poolermostly hurricanesVery high

Bloomingdalemostly hurricanesVery high

Savannahmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Pooler covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pooler’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pooler. 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 Pooler total about $21.9M 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.