Forsyth County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Forsyth County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.1 of 100, higher than 86% 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 497 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 | 94.3 | $16M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.6 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.0 | $58M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $2.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $599K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $5.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $1.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.8 | $3.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.0 | $13K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 63.5 | $1.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 27.8 | $40K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 55.7 | $192K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 48.3 | $65K |
| 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 | 153 | 2 | $6.3M | 15th of 159 | 82nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $37M | 6th of 159 | 44th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 2 | $2.0M | 15th of 159 | 649th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | $3.1M | 25th of 159 | 69th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 36 | 1 | $6.7M | 3rd of 159 | 10th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 33 | 0 | $1.4M | 5th of 159 | 545th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $2.2M | 14th of 159 | 516th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 17 | 1 | $121K | 22nd of 159 | 44th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 0 | – | 24th of 159 | 356th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 25th of 159 | 537th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $2.7M | 53rd of 159 | 830th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $802 | 43rd of 159 | 692nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $3.4M | 16th of 159 | 310th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Forsyth County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.