FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Georgia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Houston County, GA
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2024–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 70
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Houston County ranks in the riskiest 30% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 22% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 2 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2024, most often winter storm, 48% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 30%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 2
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 1
- winter storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Houston County compare?
Houston County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
2 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Houston County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Georgia county average
How disaster-prone is Houston County?
Declaration frequency
Houston County, Georgia has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2024 and 2026, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 44% below the Georgia county average of 3.6 and 48% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 70.5/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $33.2M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Heat Wave carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Houston County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Georgia Avg
-44%
State avg: 3.6
vs. National Avg
-48%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Houston County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Houston County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
13153
GA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 2 100.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3642 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 3616 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-26 |
Storm Events in Georgia
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 11,367 | 18 | 89 | $69.0M |
| Drought | 1,518 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Hail | 1,502 | 0 | 0 | $61.8M |
| Flash Flood | 1,236 | 0 | 3 | $29.5M |
| Tornado | 747 | 38 | 395 | $391.6M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 70.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$33.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Georgia
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Houston County, Georgia had?
Houston County, Georgia has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2024 to 2026.
What is the most common disaster type in Houston County?
The most common disaster type in Houston County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (1).
How does Houston County's disaster risk compare to the Georgia average?
Houston County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 44% lower than the Georgia county average of 3.6 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 48% lower.
What types of storms are most common in Georgia?
The most common storm types in Georgia include Thunderstorm Wind (11,367 events), Drought (1,518 events), Hail (1,502 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Houston County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Houston County was 2024, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2024 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Houston County?
Houston County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Houston County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Houston County, Georgia has an overall risk score of 70.5 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $33.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Houston County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Houston County is Heat Wave (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively High) and Hurricane (Relatively Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Houston County
Houston County, GA runs 44% below the Georgia county average for federal disaster declarations (2 vs 4), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (2 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Georgia overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.