Natural hazards · Scottdale

Scottdale, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Scottdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1992. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Scottdale?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Scottdale to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes14%Tornadoes11%Cold waves6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Scottdale faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% 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 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 Scottdale flood?

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

8paid claims since 1992

$99Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 4 claims, $50K
Late summer storms: 1 claim, $21K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.

Disasters that hit Scottdale

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ScottdaleDeclared for DeKalb County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

3 households applied for aid

DeKalb County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Scottdale

Scottdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Clarkstonmostly inland floodingModerate

North Decaturmostly inland floodingLow

Decaturmostly inland floodingLow

Scottdalemostly inland floodingVery low

Avondale Estatesmostly 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. Scottdale covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Scottdale’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Scottdale. 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 Scottdale total about $2.9M 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.