Natural hazards · Sylvania

Sylvania, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sylvania comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2024. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sylvania?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sylvania to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes55%Inland flooding18%Tornadoes8%Earthquakes7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Sylvania faces

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

Hurricanes

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Sylvania flood?

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

1paid claims since 2024

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20242026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Screven County.

Disasters that hit Sylvania

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SylvaniaDeclared for Screven County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

3,020 households applied for aid $3.0M aid approved $787K to the City of Sylvania for repairs

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

294 households applied for aid $342K aid approved $32K to the City of Sylvania for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$114K to the City of Sylvania for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$418K to the City of Sylvania for repairs

Screven County has had 13 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. Sylvania 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 Sylvania’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sylvania. 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.