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Natural hazards · Sylvester

Sylvester, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sylvester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1982. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Sylvester?

42
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sylvester to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes25%Hurricanes16%Cold waves9%Drought6%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Sylvester faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 27 years in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 29 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Sylvester flood?

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

10paid claims since 1982
$166Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Dennis: 1 claim, $20K

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. Sylvester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Worth County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

23flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Sylvester

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SylvesterDeclared for Worth County only
2024

Hurricane Helene

$213K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2018

Hurricane Michael

821 households applied for aid $491K aid approved $553K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

$189K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

115 households applied for aid $117K aid approved $42K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

1 household applied for aid $8K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

83 households applied for aid $212K aid approved $49K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

11 households applied for aid $79K aid approved
2004

Tropical Storm Frances

$12K to the City of Sylvester for repairs
Worth County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe 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. Sylvester 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 Sylvester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sylvester. 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.

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