Natural hazards · Riverdale

Riverdale, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Riverdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1980. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Riverdale?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Riverdale to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes20%Cold waves10%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Riverdale faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Riverdale flood?

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

19paid claims since 1980

$119Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Alberto: 5 claims, $35K
Hurricane Dennis: 2 claims, $30K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $4K

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. Riverdale isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Clayton County.

Disasters that hit Riverdale

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RiverdaleDeclared for Clayton County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

1 household applied for aid

2004

Hurricane Ivan

71 households applied for aid $246K aid approved

Clayton County has had 12 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. Riverdale covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Riverdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Riverdale. 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 Riverdale total about $2.3M 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.