FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
Georgia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Newton County, GA
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 51
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Newton County in the top 49% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 59% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Newton County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Georgia county average and the national county average.
- Newton County
- 4
- Georgia county avg
- 3.5
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Newton County?
Newton County, Georgia has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.3 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 15% above the Georgia county average of 3.5 and 7% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 4 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 50.6/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $22.8M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Very Low and community resilience scores Relatively Moderate - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Newton County at a low relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Newton County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Low
vs. Georgia Avg
+15%
State avg: 3.5
vs. National Avg
+7%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.3
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Newton County
The radar plots Newton 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
13217
GA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 4 FEMA disaster declarations in Newton County by incident type.
Winter Storm 1
Hurricane 1
Tropical Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Newton County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 4 FEMA disaster declarations for Newton County, Georgia.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3642 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4830 | HURRICANE HELENE | DR | Hurricane | 2024-09-30 |
| 3616 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-26 |
| 4685 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-01-16 |
Storm Events in Georgia
NOAA severe weather data for Georgia (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 10,642 | 16 | 78 | $67.8M |
| Drought | 1,508 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Hail | 1,397 | 0 | 0 | $61.8M |
| Flash Flood | 1,205 | 0 | 3 | $29.4M |
| Tornado | 691 | 37 | 380 | $390.1M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Newton County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 50.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$22.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Newton County.
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Very Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Cold Wave 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
Other Georgia counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Newton County, Georgia had?
Newton County, Georgia has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Newton County?
The most common disaster type in Newton County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Hurricane (1), Tropical Storm (1), Severe Storm (1).
How does Newton County's disaster risk compare to the Georgia average?
Newton County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 15% higher than the Georgia county average of 3.5 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 7% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Newton County received?
Newton County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 4 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Georgia?
The most common storm types in Georgia include Thunderstorm Wind (10,642 events), Drought (1,508 events), Hail (1,397 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Newton County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Newton County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Newton County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Newton County has a low disaster risk level with 4 total declarations. This county has relatively few disaster declarations compared to the national average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Newton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Newton County, Georgia has an overall risk score of 50.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $22.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Newton County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Newton County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Hail (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 Newton County
Newton County, GA has 4 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 15% above the Georgia county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (2 of 4) - 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.
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 report a data error.