Natural hazards · Thomson

Thomson, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thomson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Thomson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thomson to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes23%Hail11%Earthquakes9%Strong wind5%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Thomson 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

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Hail

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Thomson flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Thomson.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: McDuffie County.

Disasters that hit Thomson

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ThomsonDeclared for McDuffie County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

5,463 households applied for aid $5.0M aid approved $274K to the City of Thomson for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$84K to the City of Thomson for repairs

2014

Severe Winter Storm

$64K to the City of Thomson for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

92 households applied for aid $114K aid approved $42K to the City of Thomson for repairs

McDuffie County has had 10 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. Thomson 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 Thomson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Thomson. 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.