Natural hazards · Swainsboro

Swainsboro, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Swainsboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1990. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Swainsboro?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding34%Hurricanes27%Tornadoes13%Drought7%Heat waves6%Earthquakes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Swainsboro faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 22 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 28 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Swainsboro flood?

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

3paid claims since 1990

$12Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19902026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Emanuel County.

Disasters that hit Swainsboro

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SwainsboroDeclared for Emanuel County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

4,372 households applied for aid $6.0M aid approved $801K to the City of Swainsboro for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

$118K to the City of Swainsboro for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

2 households applied for aid $500 aid approved $157K to the City of Swainsboro for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$68K to the City of Swainsboro for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

33 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

Emanuel County has had 15 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. Swainsboro 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 Swainsboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Swainsboro. 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.