Natural hazards · Atlanta

Atlanta, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Atlanta comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1989. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Atlanta?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Atlanta to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding25%Tornadoes19%Hail15%Ice storms11%Strong wind11%Heat waves9%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Atlanta faces

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

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Hail

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Ice storms

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Atlanta flood?

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

21paid claims since 1989

$679Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19892026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cass County.

Disasters that hit Atlanta

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AtlantaDeclared for Cass County only

2011

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid $30K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

$25K to the City of Atlanta for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$113K to the City of Atlanta for repairs

Cass County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

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. Atlanta covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Atlanta’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Atlanta. 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 Atlanta total about $2.0M 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.