DeKalb County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates DeKalb County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 94.3 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, ice storm, hail. Its storm record holds 779 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 98.6 | $3.7M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 95.3 | $1.7M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.1 | $6.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.2 | $97M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.1 | $15M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.3 | $3.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.0 | $9.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.8 | $13M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $3.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 65.4 | $109K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 77.8 | $13K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 72.6 | $756K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.7 | $32K |
| 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 | 292 | 0 | $2.7M | 7th of 159 | 37th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 127 | 0 | $26M | 5th of 159 | 35th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 70 | 0 | $25M | 1st of 159 | 190th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 61 | 0 | $3.1M | 26th of 159 | 967th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 58 | 0 | $1.6M | 40th of 159 | 128th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 6 | $3.9M | 5th of 159 | 369th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 37 | 0 | $15M | 31st of 159 | 62nd of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 0 | – | 34th of 159 | 458th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 22 | 1 | – | 35th of 159 | 617th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 17 | 1 | $1.5M | 16th of 159 | 77th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 1 | $65M | 19th of 159 | 336th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 22nd of 159 | 497th 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 DeKalb County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.