Natural hazards · Winder

Winder, GA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winder comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2015. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Winder?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winder to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes19%Earthquakes8%Strong wind6%Lightning6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Winder faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslides

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Winder flood?

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

3paid claims since 2015

$345Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20152026

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. Winder isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Barrow County.

Disasters that hit Winder

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinderDeclared for Barrow County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

$5K to the City of Winder for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$53K to the City of Winder for repairs

Barrow County has had 11 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. Winder covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winder’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Winder. 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 Winder total about $1.3M 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.