Cherokee County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cherokee County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.3 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 796 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.8 | $16M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.5 | $1.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $46M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.2 | $1.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.5 | $7.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 | $412K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.1 | $1.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.0 | $33K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.9 | $2.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 66.7 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.9 | $83K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 58.8 | $108K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.2 | $156K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 344 | 2 | $15M | 23rd of 159 | 153rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 170 | 0 | $37M | 12th of 159 | 109th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 54 | 0 | $9.2M | 7th of 159 | 22nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 1 | $2.0M | 31st of 159 | 1174th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 42 | 0 | $1.6M | 79th of 159 | 298th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 30 | 0 | $80M | 45th of 159 | 1360th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 1 | $123M | 16th of 159 | 251st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 0 | $2.3M | 26th of 159 | 927th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 1 | $181K | 91st of 159 | 178th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 0 | – | 80th of 159 | 769th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 79th of 159 | 851st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 88th of 159 | 1102nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cherokee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.