FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
Georgia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Rabun County, GA
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 45
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Rabun County in the top 55% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 72% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Rabun County compare?
- Rabun County
- 5
- Georgia county avg
- 3.5
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Rabun County?
Rabun County, Georgia has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2026, of which 3 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 5-year record, or roughly 44% above the Georgia county average of 3.5 and 34% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 2 of 5 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 45.3/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $10.0M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very High) and community resilience (Relatively Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, these indicators put Rabun County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Georgia Avg
+44%
State avg: 3.5
vs. National Avg
+34%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 5 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Rabun County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Rabun 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
13241
GA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 2
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 60.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| 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 |
| 4600 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-05-05 |
| 4579 | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-01-12 |
Storm Events in Georgia
| 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
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 45.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$10.0M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Heat Wave 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 Rabun County, Georgia had?
Rabun County, Georgia has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2026. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Rabun County?
The most common disaster type in Rabun County is Hurricane, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Winter Storm (1), Tropical Storm (1), Severe Storm (1).
How does Rabun County's disaster risk compare to the Georgia average?
Rabun County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 44% higher than the Georgia county average of 3.5 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 34% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Rabun County received?
Rabun County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 60% of all 5 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 Rabun County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Rabun County was 2021, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Rabun County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Rabun County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Rabun County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Rabun County, Georgia has an overall risk score of 45.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $10.0M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Rabun County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Rabun County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). 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 Rabun County
Rabun County, GA has 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 44% above the Georgia county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 5) - 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.