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Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Washington?

16
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding29%Hurricanes14%Cold waves10%Tornadoes10%Drought10%Earthquakes9%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hurricanes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage
Recorded about 60 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Washington flood?

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Washington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wilkes County.
Disasters that hit Washington

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Wilkes County only
2024

Hurricane Helene

1,361 households applied for aid $896K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Washington for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

$93K to the City of Washington for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm

$4K to the City of Washington for repairs
2004

Tropical Storm Frances

$15K to the City of Washington for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Storm

$32K to the City of Washington for repairs
Wilkes County has had 12 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. Washington 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 Washington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Washington. 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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