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Chatham County, Georgia
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Chatham County, Georgia, has 990 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 228.6 events per 100 square miles, above the Georgia figure of 98.3, and 33.4 per 10,000 residents against 52.5 statewide.
51 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 4 deaths and 62 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $25M and crop damage at $1K.
FEMA has designated the county in 19 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Hurricane Helene (major disaster, 30 Sep 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 5,467 claims since 1978, of which 3,958 were paid, totalling $82M (about $21K per paid claim). FEMA counts 19,764 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($277M a year across 18 hazards).
122 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 18 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Georgia and the United States
| Measure | Chatham County | Georgia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 990 | 56,743 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 228.6 | 98.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 33.4 | 52.5 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 51 | 1,541 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 4 | 447 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $25M | $8.7B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 18.4 | 2.3 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $21K | $29K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 6.6 | 10.3 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 728 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 173 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 17 May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 52 mph | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 12 Jun 2021 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 8 Aug 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Apr 1979 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | 10 | County |
| 23 Sep 1975 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 8 | County |
| 10 Jun 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $11K | — | — | 7 | County |
| 4 May 2017 | Tornado | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 12 Jul 2010 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 24 Aug 2019 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $2.0M | — | — | 3 | County |
| 3 Jul 2014 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 5 Jul 1996 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 23 May 1980 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 1 Jul 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $10K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 3 Mar 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 22 Aug 1999 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 1 Aug 1978 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 19 Apr 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 Sep 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 30 Jul 2007 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2024 | DR-4830 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Sep 2024 | EM-3616 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene | Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2024 | DR-4821 | Major disaster | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Aug 2024 | EM-3607 | Emergency | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby | Public assistance |
| 29 Mar 2020 | DR-4501 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3464 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 1 Sep 2019 | EM-3422 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian | Public assistance |
| 10 Oct 2018 | EM-3406 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael | Public assistance |
| 15 Sep 2017 | DR-4338 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 8 Sep 2017 | EM-3387 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma | Public assistance |
| 8 Oct 2016 | DR-4284 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 6 Oct 2016 | EM-3379 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2005 | EM-3218 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 1999 | EM-3144 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations | Public assistance |
| 11 Mar 1998 | DR-1209 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 19 Oct 1994 | DR-1042 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Heavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High Winds | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 15 Mar 1993 | EM-3097 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 20 Jul 1977 | EM-3044 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
| 2 Jun 1977 | DR-536 | Major disaster | Freezing | Shrimp Loss Due To Cold Weather | Individual assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 1 | $60,556 | $60,556 |
| 2025 | 22 | 13 | $192,330 | $14,795 |
| 2024 | 181 | 110 | $3,065,409 | $27,867 |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | $8,278 | $4,139 |
| 2022 | 19 | 8 | $65,329 | $8,166 |
| 2021 | 41 | 26 | $515,406 | $19,823 |
| 2020 | 10 | 5 | $28,538 | $5,708 |
| 2019 | 17 | 7 | $148,766 | $21,252 |
| 2018 | 15 | 9 | $269,703 | $29,967 |
| 2017 | 984 | 806 | $28,774,200 | $35,700 |
| 2016 | 794 | 454 | $13,691,484 | $30,157 |
| 2015 | 38 | 9 | $99,077 | $11,009 |
| 2014 | 24 | 12 | $135,897 | $11,325 |
| 2013 | 19 | 9 | $62,341 | $6,927 |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | $12,686 | $12,686 |
| 2011 | 9 | 3 | $13,705 | $4,568 |
| 2010 | 17 | 5 | $47,939 | $9,588 |
| 2009 | 35 | 19 | $170,566 | $8,977 |
| 2008 | 18 | 7 | $13,573 | $1,939 |
| 2007 | 45 | 30 | $297,261 | $9,909 |
| 2006 | 32 | 20 | $579,326 | $28,966 |
| 2005 | 24 | 10 | $82,526 | $8,253 |
| 2004 | 25 | 11 | $89,885 | $8,171 |
| 2003 | 47 | 29 | $231,549 | $7,984 |
| 2002 | 54 | 36 | $235,906 | $6,553 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | $189,017,956 | |
| Inland flooding | $41,892,542 | |
| Coastal flooding | $13,074,596 | |
| Earthquake | $12,461,529 | |
| Heat wave | $6,391,033 | |
| Cold wave | $3,585,930 | |
| Tornado | $3,422,620 | |
| Wildfire | $2,022,818 | |
| Lightning | $1,955,400 | |
| Strong wind | $1,324,046 | |
| Ice storm | $891,361 | |
| Hail | $532,445 | |
| Winter weather | $119,935 | |
| Drought | $54,056 | |
| Landslide | $102 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debby | 2024 | 2 mi | 52 mph |
| Idalia | 2023 | 51 mi | 69 mph |
| Colin | 2022 | 45 mi | 40 mph |
| Danny | 2021 | 41 mi | 46 mph |
| Elsa | 2021 | 70 mi | 46 mph |
| Isaias | 2020 | 98 mi | 75 mph |
| Eta | 2020 | 70 mi | 46 mph |
| Dorian | 2019 | 96 mi | 115 mph |
| Nestor | 2019 | 85 mi | 46 mph |
| Hermine | 2016 | 30 mi | 58 mph |
| Julia | 2016 | 26 mi | 46 mph |
| Matthew | 2016 | 35 mi | 109 mph |
| Andrea | 2013 | 32 mi | 46 mph |
| Alberto | 2012 | 93 mi | 46 mph |
| Beryl | 2012 | 51 mi | 40 mph |
| Barry | 2007 | 10 mi | 46 mph |
| Charley | 2004 | 84 mi | 75 mph |
| Gaston | 2004 | 99 mi | 69 mph |
| Kyle | 2002 | 26 mi | 40 mph |
| Irene | 1999 | 98 mi | 75 mph |
| Earl | 1998 | 82 mi | 46 mph |
| Allison | 1995 | 55 mi | 40 mph |
| Hugo | 1989 | 94 mi | 138 mph |
| Chris | 1988 | 11 mi | 52 mph |
| Bob | 1985 | 37 mi | 75 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 31406 1,013
- 31419 844
- 31328 776
- 31405 752
- 31410 715
- 31404 457
- 31415 246
- 31411 240
- 31322 106
- 31408 97
- 31401 75
- 31302 72
- 31407 64
- 31402 17
- 31412 7
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Chatham County, GA?
NCEI records 183 hail events in Chatham County since 1950, in 42 different years; that is about 2.4 recorded events a year. 36 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Chatham County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 32 tornadoes in Chatham County since 1950, 5 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Chatham County?
30 Sep 2024: Hurricane Helene, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 19 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Chatham County, and how much was paid?
5,467 NFIP claims since 1978, 3,958 of them paid, for $82M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Chatham County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Moderate" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Chatham County compare with the rest of Georgia?
228.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 98.3 statewide, and 18.4 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 2.3. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.