Natural hazards · Tybee Island

Tybee Island, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tybee Island comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 544 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tybee Island?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tybee Island to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes61%Coastal flooding25%Inland flooding7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Tybee Island faces

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

Hurricanes

61% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Coastal flooding

25% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Tybee Island flood?

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

544paid claims since 1979

$14.7Mpaid to owners

99homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 235 claims, $8.9M
Hurricane Matthew: 167 claims, $4.6M
Hurricane Debby: 3 claims, $22K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Tybee Island is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Chatham County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

55homes raised above flood level

12buildings retrofitted against wind

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Tybee Island

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Tybee IslandDeclared for Chatham County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

82 households applied for aid $150K aid approved

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

327 households applied for aid $536K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

435 households applied for aid $257K aid approved

Chatham County has had 13 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. Tybee Island covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tybee Island’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tybee Island. 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 Tybee Island total about $3.4M 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.